Monday 21 November 2022 07:08 PM Killer driver who crashed into his friend's car than took Snapchat videos walks ... trends now
A careless driver who caused the death of his 19-year-old friend walked free from court today - as a judge told him he would spend a lifetime living with the knowledge of what he had done.
Thomas Beadle, 20, of Crook, County Durham, admitted causing death by careless driving after tragedy struck on the A177 Durham Road in Stockton-On-Tees in September last year.
Beadle had been driving behind his friend Blaine Darnell's car at the time of the crash and failed to pay proper due care and attention to the road and heed to the road signs and hazards.
It meant he was driving his Peugeot 308 too close and too fast behind Blaine that he was unable to stop when he slowed at some temporary traffic lights.
After the crash, Beadle sent videos and photographs of the scene to friends over Snapchat while Mr Darnell died in his car.
Thomas Beadle, 20, of Crook, County Durham, admitted causing death by careless driving after tragedy struck on the A177 Durham Road in Stockton-On-Tees in September last year
Blaine Darnell, 19, from County Durham, died when Beadle collided into the back of his Vauxhall Corsa after driving too close and too fast behind him
Today, Mr Darnell's heartbroken mother told the man responsible for her son's death that she 'hates him for what he has done'.
Mr Darnell, who was driving a Vauxall Corsa, had met with friends on the evening of September 29, 2021, including the defendant and, in the three cars, they headed to Teesside Park.
At Teesside Crown Court, Sue Hirst, prosecuting, described how Beadle's car collided with 19-year-old Blaine's car at a set of temporary traffic lights, near Stockton - sending him into the Mini in front which was being driven by friend Kieran Clement.
The impact caused Blaine's Corsa to roll onto its side and into the path of an oncoming vehicle. A Volkswagen Touran then collided with the roof and windscreen of the Corsa on the 50mph section of carriageway.
A post mortem found Blaine died as a result of injuries to his head and neck which occurred on impact and would have resulted in immediate loss of consciousness and death very shortly after. Drivers and an off-duty paramedic who
