Speeding driver who killed schoolboy gets 10 years

A driver who killed a schoolboy while speeding at 67mph (about 105km/h) through a village has been jailed for 10 years.

Freddie Coleman, 15, died and a second child suffered a traumatic brain injury in the crash in Stock, Essex, on 3 November 2023.

They were walking to a bus stop when the car, driven by Stephen Mahebadevan, 26, of Orford Crescent, Chelmsford, hit them.

At Chelmsford Crown Court, Judge Mary Loram KC said the tragedy was "unimaginable for any parent".

There were gasps from the public gallery as she revealed Mahebadevan made an insurance claim three days after the crash, lying to say his car had been damaged by a "bus or lorry".

Mahebadevan admitted causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving in January.

He was driving at more than double the 30mph (about 50km/h) speed limit in Stock Road when he lost control and mounted a pavement at 08:20 GMT, hitting both boys.

The friends, who were heading to Mayflower High School in nearby Billericay, were knocked into the road and Freddie was hit by an oncoming van, prosecutor Paul Edwards said.

A witness described Mahebadevan "travelling like a missile" through the village, the court heard.

Freddie's mother, Joanna, said her son was "a fabulous, loyal friend" and his death was the "darkest day of my life".

"Everything in our lives has changed as a family. We try to be as normal as possible. However, we find it extremely difficult to even leave the house some days," she added.

There were about 50 people in court to support the victims' families, and the judge seemed visibly moved as statements detailing their pain were read aloud.

The mother of the second boy, a promising footballer who needed a kidney removed after the crash, said it was "a parent's worst nightmare".

In a statement addressing Mahebadevan, the boy added: "The visible scars you left on my body are a constant reminder of what you did to me, something I cannot escape."

Ayanna Nelson, mitigating, said it was a matter of "extreme regret" that Mahebadevan could not explain why he was speeding.

But the judge interjected: "I can: he chose to. It doesn't matter why. It doesn't matter if he was late or if he just wanted to put his foot down."

Passing sentence, Loram said "the awful, most tragic consequences" had come from Mahebadevan's speeding.

"What a hole [Freddie] has left for all who knew and loved him," she added.

She banned Mahebadevan from driving for 13 years.

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