A British teenager has been sentenced to prison after inhaling laughing gas before crashing into a tree and killing his three friends.
The Oxford Crown Court, UK, heard the details of a horrific crash that saw the vehicle reach speeds of 100mph before crashing.
19-year-old Thomas Johnson was breathing nitrous oxide in through balloons, while driving at more than 100mph on a 30mph road in Marcham, Oxfordshire, on June 23 last year.
He has now been sentenced to nine years in prison after pleading guilty to killing his three friends.
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The three friends, Daniel Hancock, 18, Ethan Goddard, 18, and Elliot Pullen, 17, all died in the crash and their families have condemned Johnson for his reckless driving and ‘showing off’.
Video footage, released by the Thames Valley Police appears to show a mobile phone recording of Johnson and the other teens inhaling the gas not long before Johnson sped up to well above the speed limit and losing control of the car.
In a press release by the police they explained more details of the incident.
It read: “At the time, possession of nitrous oxide was not a criminal offence, but driving while impaired through drink or drugs is. Nitrous oxide has since become classified as a class C drug.
“At just after midnight on 20 June 2023, Johnson overtook a vehicle at high speed and continued towards Marcham, hitting speeds of approximately 98mph just before the collision.
“He lost control of his car before colliding with a lamppost and a stone wall, before heavily striking a large tree.
“Elliot, Ethan and Daniel sustained catastrophic injuries and all three youngsters tragically died of their injuries at the scene.”
Johnson was also severely injured but survived.
Judge Emma Nott condemned the young man before giving him his sentence on Wednesday (December 18).
She said: “You will be forever defined by your teenage mistakes but you will also have a chance to rewrite this definition.”
She also highlighted the seriousness of his injuries meant that he could not fully recollect the events of that evening.
She said added: “The severity of your brain injuries mean you have no memory of that night.”
The judge also told him that his facial disfiguration as a result of the crash would be a ‘permanent reminder’ of his actions that took the lives of three people.
The families of the victims dubbed Johnson a ‘cocky teenager’ who was showing off when tragedy happened and urged other people not to become passengers of drivers who show disregard for their friends’ safety.
Gerrard Kaonga