‘This needless loss has caused so much pain’

PARENTS OF KILLED TEENAGERS MAKE EMOTIONAL STATEMENTS

THE devastated parents of three teenage boys killed in a drink driving crash in Hayes made emotional appeals in court on the day the driver responsible for their sons’ deaths was sentenced.

Jaynesh Chudasama, 28, from Hayes was more than two-and-ahalf-times the drink-drive limit when he crashed his Audi into the friends who were on their way to a birthday party on January 26.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of causing death by dangerous driving at the Old Bailey on Monday February 26 and was jailed for 13 years on Wednesday March 28.

Speaking in court, Josh McGuinness’s mother Tracy Blackwell described the “terrible pain” she and her family have suffered following the death of her “beautiful, handsome, kind loving boy.”

The last time she saw her son was in a coffin, she said: “I kissed him for the very last time and had to say goodbye to my son.”

She added: “I now only have pictures to kiss.”

She described Josh as “one of the nicest, kindest, most caring, politest loveliest boys” and thought she was “the luckiest mum in the world”.

In a victim impact statement, she said: “On January 26 2018 our world collapsed. There are no adequate words to describe the pain, anger, despair and loss that I feel from Josh’s death. I feel tortured every day.

She added: “My family and I have been given life sentences. We will never live ordinary lives again. I feel battered and bruised and scarred for life.”

She said Josh was “working hard every day and starting to make a life for himself” when he was killed in the crash.

Speaking of the events that led to her son’s death, she said the following about Audi driver Jaynesh Chudasama, who pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and was two-and-a-half-times over the drink-drive limit: “Mr Chudasama hit our children at speed and killed our boys who were walking on the pavement where they should have been safe. Instead of trying to help the children he chose to run away.”

She added: “I do not believe he is at all sorry for what he has done. If he was his behaviour would have been very different.”

She ended the statement with an emotional appeal to the judge: “Please understand this has left us totally broken. We have lost the most precious things in our life – our children.”

Sarah Baker, 16-year-old George Wilkinson’s mother, described him as a “cheeky boy who lit up the room as soon as he walked in”.

In a victim impact statement, she said: “He told me every day he loved me and in fact the last words he said to me on that devastating night was that he loved me.

“He said ‘Love you Mum, bye.’” “He adored his siblings and his grandparents are heartbroken and don’t know how to deal with this loss. There’s now a massive hole in our family which I cannot understand how we will get over.”

Mum Sarah described how George’s siblings, Aron, 23, Talia, 21, Billy, 18 and Vinnie, seven, have been deeply affected by the tragedy. She said: “The awful night that my son was taken from me will stay with me and haunt me for the rest of my life.”

The grief and loss we feel has taken the family over and we are all struggling to keep going and make it through each day.

“I feel so sad every day as I keep thinking of the day of the crash and re-living this and thinking of how George felt,” she said.

“I can’t get over thinking of how he was laying there hurt and I really wanted to go to him. It was the worst night of my life. Before his death, George had been working as an apprentice electrician with his dad and attended college.

She said: “George will never make his special 18th, 30th or any other birthday or we will never see him get married or see his children. I just keep thinking of how he would have made such a good husband and dad as he was such a caring person.

“How are we ever going to be happy again? We are just a broken family.”

Ian Rice, father of 17-year-old Harry, expressed the “indescribable loss” felt by he and his wife, Nicola, following their son’s death.

Speaking in court he described their pain and not being able to see Harry, a promising young footballer, achieve his ambition to play professional football.

Speaking on behalf of Harry’s mother, he said: “I wished every day that I didn’t wake up knowing that my Harry is no longer with me. I tried so hard to protect him then my worst fears became a reality. Knowing I will never kiss, touch or hold my precious boy again it is all too much to bear.”

His father described Harry as having an “infectious smile” and a “bright future”.

He said Harry’s 13-year-old sister Emily has been badly affected by her brother’s death and not attended school since it happened.

He said: “This needless loss of three beautiful friends lives that has caused us so much pain and heart break which we will take to our graves.”

The awful night that my son was taken from me will stay with me and haunt me for the rest of my life

Sarah Baker

Jaynesh Chudasama