'You've destroyed my family': Grieving mum addresses speeding van driver who killed his best friend in crash

A grieving mother told a speeding van driver he has "destroyed" her family after a crash which killed his best friend.

Luke Ford's passenger and best friend, Philip Plews, was killed in the crash in Darlington, in February 2020 after Ford tried to negotiate a sharp bend at 50mph, despite the 30mph speed limit. The 20-year-old initially claimed that he saw headlights and slammed on his brakes.

But Teesside Crown Court has heard that there was "no evidence of hard braking" before the fatal smash on Carmel Road South, at 7.35pm on February 5, 2022.

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On Thursday, the court heard that Ford was carrying two passengers in his white transit van - Philip Plews and a 14-year-old child. Mr Plews, 17, was in the front passenger seat and he was not wearing a seatbelt. Ford and the 14-year-old were wearing seatbelts.

Ford was driving north along the residential road, which was wet. He lost control around a bend and his van was seen spinning anti-clockwise, before it mounted the kerb and collided with a tree and an electricity utility box.

A witness heard "a large thump" from where he was getting petrol at a nearby garage. He ran to the van and asked Ford if he was ok and if he should call for an ambulance.

Ford replied: "No, I don't need you to call for an ambulance. I don't need you to call the police. I'll sort it."

His passenger Mr Plews was unconscious and bleeding. The court heard that members of the public got Mr Plews out of the van, laid him on the grass, and began CPR. Paramedics soon took over, but Mr Plews had gone into cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead at 8.08pm.

Witnesses noticed that Ford was on his phone as Mr Plews, who worked with Ford, was being taken out of the van. When the police arrived, Ford told them that he had "seen headlights and another car had caused him to slam on his brakes suddenly."

He claimed he was driving at 30mph, and he had hit his head in the crash after his van mounted the kerb and crashed. When he was arrested and questioned at the police station, Ford said his "brakes were not working properly - that his van kept sliding after he had slammed his brakes on."

He said that he presumed the lights he saw were from another car or lorry. Nitrous oxide was found at the crash scene, but Ford tested negative in a roadside drugs test. He refused to give police the passcode for his mobile phone.

CCTV from Blackwell Stores, which is just a few metres away from where the crash happened on Carmel Road South, was analysed. Investigators found that Ford was driving at 50.8mph and that there was "no evidence of harsh braking prior to leaving the road."

Investigators thought that "two metal drain covers could have unsettled the van" as it negotiated the bend at excessive speed.

'You've destroyed my family'

Mr Plews's mother, Anne-Marie Robison, broke down in tears as she read out a statement to the court. She said that she had looked at her son's face in the mortuary: "I sat in the funeral home for days. I wasn't ready to say goodbye. It was one of the hardest moments of my life..."

Turning to Ford, she said: "You've destroyed my family. You've taken Philip from us. It was your responsibility when you had two children in your van, you shouldn't have been driving over the speed limit."

Philip Plews's mother said that her son's life "is worth more than a suspended sentence."

Judge Howard Crowson told the court that although Ford should have encouraged his passenger to wear a seatbelt - especially when the passenger was regarded a vulnerable to some degree - "...we don't know whether this would have changed the outcome. There's no way of knowing."

Ford, of Longfield road in Darlington, pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving at a hearing in February. In mitigation, Helen Towers said that her client, in his own words, "is completely devastated by his actions" and that he is remorseful.

The judge told Ford: "Shortly after 7.30pm on a dark February night, when you were 18, you lost control of your vehicle. You were speeding. Your passengers were your best friend and a 14-year-old schoolboy.

"Philip Plews was 17, but he was regarded as immature for his years. He wasn't wearing a seatbelt. It is perhaps an indication of your lack of care for your passengers, that you did not ensure he was wearing his seatbelt.

"You lost control, went into a spin and hit a tree. The damage was to the passenger side and Mr Plews suffered fatal head injuries.

"Your first thought was to avoid getting yourself into trouble. You were distraught. We don't know the reason for your phone call. You were unable to accept it was your responsibility.

"You said you were driving at 30mph. You blamed your brakes but your vehicle was mechanically sound. I can tell, from your appearance in court, that you are remorseful.

"The sentence I'm imposing is not a measutre of Philip's life. No sentence can do that.

"I acknowledge that you didn't intend to cause Philip's death. You will forever live with the responsibility of causing Philip's death."

Ford was handed a three-year community order involving a six-month mental health treatment requirement, 35-rehabilitations days with the probation service, and 300-hours of unpaid work.

He was banned from driving for three years and must pass an extended test before he is allowed back on the road.