A teenage driver who caused the tragic deaths of three friends in a crash had reassured a grieving dad he’d drive carefully – but tragically, he didn’t keep that promise. Edward Spencer, 19, admitted to causing death by careless driving after losing control of his Ford Fiesta on a country road just weeks after passing his test. His reckless driving resulted in a devastating collision with a Fiat, killing three of his passengers and leaving three others seriously injured.
One of the victims, 16-year-old Matilda Seccombe – known as Tilly – had reportedly voiced concerns about Spencer’s driving on the very day of the crash. Her dad, James, has now revealed that Spencer had personally assured him he’d be responsible behind the wheel. “I told him face to face in our living room to be careful when driving with people in the car, and he promised me he would be. Clearly, he didn’t,” James said, reported Daily Mail.
James, a parish councilor, deeply regrets allowing his daughter to travel in the car that night. He and his wife, Juliet, were still getting to know Tilly’s new friends, as she had only joined her school’s sixth form the previous September. The decision to trust Spencer came after meeting him at a party hosted by Tilly at their home in Preston on Stour, Warwickshire – a choice they now wish they had never made.
In court, Spencer was handed an interim driving ban ahead of his sentencing next month at Warwick Crown Court, where he faces the likelihood of jail time. Judge Andrew Lockhart KC made it clear that a custodial sentence was on the cards, according to the Mirror.
The heartbreaking case has reignited discussions about whether the UK should introduce stricter rules for new drivers. In the wake of this tragedy, and a similar crash that killed three teenagers near Shifnal, Shropshire, there have been calls for “graduated” driving licences. These could include measures like banning young drivers from carrying underage passengers for the first six months after passing their test.
James and Juliet have thrown their support behind such restrictions, hoping it might prevent another family from experiencing the agony they’re going through. Their daughter’s death, along with those of twin Harry Purcell, 17, and fellow sixth-former Frank Wormald, 16, has left their community in shock.
James also revealed that after the crash, a friend came forward to say Tilly had confided in her just hours before the collision, expressing concerns about Spencer’s driving. A later search of Tilly’s phone uncovered messages hinting at a previous incident that had made her “cross” – but when she confronted Spencer, he reportedly gave a “belligerent response.”
Adding to their grief, Juliet said Spencer has shown no real remorse over the past two years. “Until yesterday, he has spent two years not facing up to what he has done,” she said, criticising his legal team for commissioning two separate crash investigations, including one funded by legal aid, in addition to the official police report.
Spencer, described as a keen rugby player from a farming family in Newbold on Stour, Warwickshire, has claimed he has no memory of the horrific crash. But as the families of his victims wait for justice, they are left to mourn the futures that were cruelly taken away that night.
