News

Teenage Driver Jailed For Causing Death Of His Friend

Written by HFM News on 16th August 2021

A teenager who caused the death of his friend after a high-speed crash in a Harborough village has been jailed for 15 months.

Brennan Carpenter, 19, was driving at over 80mph when his Ford Fiesta left the road, overturned and came to rest in a brook on Willoughby Road in Willoughby Waterleys.

The front seat passenger, 18-year-old Thomas Gamble, from Broughton Astley, an RAF Officer, sustained serious injuries and died in hospital a few hours later, following the crash on December 20^th last year.

Carpenter of Evans Avenue, Broughton Astley, admitted causing death by dangerous driving at Leicester Crown Court,

He was also disqualified from driving for three years which will be begin on his release from prison.

Detective Sergeant Ed Des-Chanelle from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “Yet again, we see a young life lost due to the careless actions of another. Thomas was a RAF officer with a promising career ahead of him. His loss will be suffered by his family and friends forever.

“We are pleased Carpenter pleaded guilty to the charges laid before him and spared the family the ordeal of hearing the evidence in court. While it will never ease the pain, the fact Carpenter has taken responsibility for his actions will hopefully bring them some peace.

“The incident and investigation also had a massive impact on the officers who dealt with it, many of whom had children of similar ages themselves. Putting their feelings aside they dealt with the families with the upmost sensitivity, guiding them through the investigation and subsequent judicial process.

“We hope that the sentence passed today gives Carpenter the time to reflect on his careless behaviour and think about his actions in the future.

“Speeding is one of the four main contributors to road death and serious injury on our roads and we are constantly trying to deter and educate drivers from such carless driving, putting their lives and the lives of others at risk. There is no excuse for speeding and we will arrest and prosecute those who believe they are above the law.”