A drug dealer has been jailed for causing the deaths of three men in a high-speed car chase after they sold him popcorn instead of cannabis.
Robbie Cook was in his Range Rover Sport when he followed the men in their Citroen Berlingo through residential streets in Eastbourne, East Sussex, on February 13 2023 before they crashed into a tree at a park entrance at more than 50mph and were declared dead at the scene.
The court heard Cook, of Eastbourne, was angry once he realised he was duped in the drug deal worth £3,500 and was “determined” to recover his cash.
Cook, 39, admitted causing death by dangerous driving of Daniel Davies, 21, Jonny Day, 32, and Jon “Tommy” Miller, 36, who were all from Berkshire, and perverting the course of justice by later destroying his phone.
The public gallery at Lewes Crown Court was packed with their family members when Cook was sentenced to 18 years in prison on Friday.
Sentencing him, Judge Christine Laing KC said: “I am quite satisfied this was a pursuit carried out by you in determination of getting your drugs money back, together with aggravating features and the fact this tragedy caused the deaths of three men.
“You returned to the Berlingo using a torch to search in and around the vehicle as those men lay dying in it. That speaks volume about your character.
“In the immediate aftermath all you were thinking about was your position and getting your money back.”
The court heard that the cars raced through the narrow streets in the seaside town, half a car length apart, and at one point hit each other, causing the Citroen’s bumper and the Range Rover’s number plate to come off.
Cook, who was familiar with the roads, slowed to 19mph at the junction with Decoy Drive, while Mr Day, who was driving the Citroen, lost control and crashed.
Cook was seen on CCTV getting out of the 4×4 and using torchlight to search the car before leaving the scene after around two minutes, without calling an ambulance for the men he told police he heard moaning in the car, the court heard.
Emergency services were called around 30 minutes after the crash by one of Cook’s associates, and Mr Day is likely to have died just before paramedics arrived an hour after the incident.
Family members stood up in court and told how they had been robbed of their loved ones because of a “reckless” pursuit.
Mr Day’s fiance, Kerri Farrell, told Cook: “He died because of someone else’s relentless, heartless actions.
“You have taken our future away from us. My heart will always be broken.”
Mr Miller’s family described him as a “true hero” who saved his sister’s life three years ago by donating one of his kidneys to her, and said their family will never be the same without his “big character”.
Mr Davies’s mother, Mandy Davies, told the court she was an “emotional wreck”, adding: “I can’t get over losing him in such a tragic way.”
A letter written by Cook, a father-of-one, was read out in court expressing his remorse over the fatal pursuit.
“I made choices that resulted in complete and utter devastation,” he said.
“I understand I need to be punished.
“I’m sincerely remorseful of my actions… because of the moral and personal realisation of the wrong I’ve done and damage and pain I’ve caused.”
