A drugged-up unlicenced driver who killed a teenage neighbour when he lost control of his speeding car has been branded ‘arrogant’ by a judge.
Camron Holmes smashed through a hedgerow before hitting a tree leaving Lauren Beavan with fatal injuries.
The 27-year-old, who had been smoking cannabis on the night of the crash, was found to have cocaine in his system when he was arrested at the scene.
Teesside Crown Court heard how Holmes lost control of his Renault Clio on Greatham Beck Lane near Hartlepool at around 4am on August 7, last year.
Michael Bunch, prosecuting, said the defendant had not passed a driving test before the fatal collision.
He said: “The Clio left the carriageway on the bend and travelled through the hedgerow before colliding with one of the trees ending up resting on its offside.
“Having freed himself from the car, the defendant made his way to the A689 and was able to flag down a passing ambulance.
“They attended to offer medical assistance to Miss Beavan who was pronounced dead at the scene.”
The court heard how a passing off-duty police officer tried to help and believed that Holmes was under the influence.
He called for back up and a roadside drugs test showed that Holmes had cocaine and cannabis in his system.
Mr Bunch said the teenager died as a result of injuries to her neck and spine.
In a victim impact statement, Miss Beavan’s mother told the court of the devastating impact the death of the 18-year-old had had on her family.
“My daughter, aged only 18, was barely still a child,” she said. “She was a beautiful, selfless, kind and loving young lady who was always smiling and full of life.
“Her death has not only taken just one life, but it has also shattered and destroyed a whole family.”
Holmes, of Mill Lane, Billingham, pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving whilst unfit and driving without a licence.
Stephen Constantine, mitigating, said father-of-four had no previous convictions but conceded that Holmes had been taking drugs from a young age and driving without a licence for several weeks before the crash.
He added: “This defendant did try to seek some assistance and he remained at the scene.”
Judge Amanda Rippon branded Holmes arrogant as she jailed him for eight years for killing Miss Beavan when he lost control of the car.
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“You decided to ignore the law,” she said. “With extraordinary misplaced and inflated self-confidence, you drove on roads until the fateful night when a kind young woman at the start of her adult life, decided to offer you some support.
“You decided it was perfectly ok to smoke cannabis because you thought it improved your concentration and caused you to drive better – it did not.
“By the end of the night, your arrogance and selfishness killed Miss Beavan. This was not an accident, this was serious gross negligence.”
Holmes was also banned from driving for 14 years and told he must pass an extended test before taking to the roads again.
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