Husband jailed for killing wife in Chellaston crash

A husband who killed his wife in a "horrific" car crash has been jailed.

Lizzy Keenan, 30, was a passenger in Richard Keenan's car when it crashed in Derby Road, Chellaston on 20 August.

Keenan, 23, mistakenly believed police were chasing him and crashed while driving "at very high speed", the court heard.

At Derby Crown Court, Keenan, of Hartshill Road, Swadlincote, admitted causing death by dangerous driving. He was jailed for seven-and-a-half years.

He also pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified, driving above the legal alcohol limit and driving without insurance.

The court heard Keenan, who had a number of previous driving convictions and was disqualified at the time, thought police were chasing him when they were actually responding to an unrelated 999 call.

Latest news and stories from the East Midlands

Jonathan Straw, prosecuting, said: "They had blue flashing lights on. It is patently clear that he mistakenly assumed, given his record, that the police were after him.

"He accelerated quickly to speeds of up to 70mph in a zone where there was a 30mph limit in place."

Mr Straw said Keenan had "the most appalling record for driving" and tried to run away from police after the crash.

Sentencing, Judge Nirmal Shant QC said: "This is a case where your driving has caused the death of Lizzy Keenan in an utterly horrific way.

"It is an understatement to say it devastated the lives of those who loved her. Nothing I do today or say today is going to compensate them for the pain they will feel forever."

Reading a statement out to the court Mrs Keenan's sister, Margaret Hannifan, said: "She was my best friend."

She added the "catastrophic injuries she sustained left her unrecognisable" when she dressed her at the funeral.

Separately, two men have been questioned over photographs of the crash which appeared on social media.

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.