A schoolboy has been jailed after being found guilty of casing the deaths of three men who died in a horror car crash.
Jack Simpson, 16, has been named and pictured for the first time as the boy who caused the tragic deaths of Sohail Ali, Simon McHugh and his friend Kyden Leadbeater on the M606 in June.
The 16-year-old appeared at Bradford Crown Court today, and pleaded guilty to three counts of death by dangerous driving.
He has been jailed for six years, after the court heard how he drove a van the wrong way up the motorway, doing 70mph in a 30mph area of Bradford, before it went on the partake in a series of appalling driving manouvres. Simpson then crashed the vehicle into a taxi, killing its driver, Mr Ali, and passenger, Mr McHugh.
Eighteen-year-old Mr Leadbeater - who was in the van with Simpson at the time - died in hospital due to injuries he suffered in the horror crash.
Because of his age, a reporting restriction protected the 16-year-old from being identified.
However, today, Simpson's anonymity was lifted following submissions by the press, meaning the teenager's photograph and name can now be published.
Speaking about the removal, His Honour Judge Richard Mansell QC said: "In the hope it will serve to reduce incidents of appalling driving plaguing the city of Bradford every week. The defendant and his family do not raise any strong objections to the name of the defendant being reported.
"I am satisfied there is a strong public interest in fully understanding the circumstances of the deaths of three men."
Sentencing the teenager, the judge spoke about how the schoolboy was previously on bail for burglary. The court heard how Simpson was on police bail and curfew in respect of allegations of night-time burglaries of dwellings at the time of the crash.
Judge Mansell added: "I remind myself you were on police bail and also note the competence of your driving, up to the point of collision, showed a previous experience of driving vehicles illegally.
"Allowing you credit for your guilty pleas, the sentence on the three offences of causing death by dangerous driving is six years concurrent on each offence.
"No sentences will be regarded by many of placing a wholly adequate value on their lives. The sentence is the maximum sentence I can pass on you."
In sentencing, Judge Mansell also told Simpson that he will carry the burden of the tragedy with him for the rest of his life, saying: "You will carry with you for the rest of your life the responsibility for killing these three young men and bringing untold grief and pain to their families.
"These sentences will be regarded by many as placing a wholly inadequate value on the lives of Mr Ali, Mr McHugh and Mr Leadbeater. They are not intended to place a value on their lives, and the sentences are in truth the maximum sentences I could pass on you for such offences....
"It means you will be just approaching 19 by the time you are released on licence.
"I really advise you to use the time in custody positively and come out a different and better man than the boy who went inside."
Simpson will spend half of his six year sentence in custody and less the time spent on remand, before being released on licence. The teenager has also been disqualified from driving for six years, and must now pass an extended test before applying for his licence.
He has been urged to use his jail time to change his life around. Judge Mansell added: "I advise you strongly to use your time in custody appropriately and come out a better man."
The court today heard how Simpson had indicated guilty pleas to three counts of causing death by dangerous driving, but the collision was 'unplanned' and the killing of his friend not criminally 'intended'.
Mitigating, Peter Moulson QC - who addressed the court on behalf of Simpson - said that teenage boy is remorseful of his actions, adding: "None of the terrible consequences of that criminality were intended."
He continued to say: "It is my assessment Jack genuinely regrets his actions, but he struggles to verbalise this. His social worker reported he was very emotional. He said people had died because of him and he stated 'I am never going to forgive myself' and Jack says he doesn't like to talk about the incident because he will 'never stop crying.'"
Tributes were paid to Sohail Ali, saying he was a kind and helpful person who was dedicated to his job as a taxi driver. His uncle, Amar Khan, said: "He was young, enthusiastic, happy, kind and gentle. He had many cousins and relatives who always looked up to him. He was a friend to all of them.
"His friends are absolutely distraught. It is very sad and shocking - he was only 28. It is a massive shock. From a young age, all his customers would ask for Sohail to pick them up. He really enjoyed helping the elderly and would take their shopping into their house. He loved it. He was calm and made people feel comfortable with his presence. He was a beautiful soul."
Friends and family of Mr McHugh who attended court read emotional statements, with his mother appealing to Simpson to change his life around.
Through a tearful speech, she said she was in 'total shock' by what happened, and pleaded to the 16-year-old to 'change' himself, adding: "Live your life as a better life. Get your life on track."
Another friend of Mr McHugh's said: "He was my best friend. He had changed my life."
She said she has to drive past the M606 on her way to work and "doesn't want to be anywhere near to what happened", adding: "It has affected how I act, it's hard to put into words how you feel. I feel broken."
