Jailed: Drivers who left mother-of-two dead in 70mph race
TWO drivers have been jailed for “needlessly” killing a mum-of-two by driving dangerously in a night-time race that saw them accelerate to more than 70mph.
Jamie Oaten, 24, admitted causing the death of Jenna Miller by dangerous driving, while his codefendant Joseph Fettah, 20, was found guilty by a jury after a trial last month.
Judge Stephen Hopkins QC said: “A young woman, a daughter, a wife, a mother was needlessly killed by the stupid, dangerous and selfish actions of two young drivers racing.”
Ms Miller was 30 when she died as a result of injuries she suffered in the crash.
The court heard the incident occurred near the Texaco garage on the A4055 Cardiff Road in Barry at around 9pm on September 27 last year.
Matthew Cobbe, prosecuting, said an “impromptu race” between the two defendants began at traffic lights around 500m away from the collision site.
He said: “The prosecution case is that is that those two young men were more intent on each other and their race than on other road users around them.”
One witness described hearing car engines accelerating, while another reported seeing them travelling at “motorway speeds” in the 30mph zone.
Experts agreed they averaged 70mph for a 150m stretch of road, which included a pedestrian crossing, and pushed their cars to maximum capacity.
Oaten was driving an Audi A5 at the time of the incident while Fettah was in a Volkswagen Golf.
In evidence, Fettah told the jury there was nothing remarkable or dangerous about his speed and claimed he was travelling between 30mph and 40mph – which the jury rejected.
Oaten initially told police the collision was Ms Miller’s fault and told a probation officer he was not driving as fast as he could have done.
Prosecutors said Ms Miller, in a Mazda 6, had just finished filling her car up with fuel when she went to turn right out of the garage.
The court heard her passenger Nathan Pearson had a “limited” recollection of events.
Mr Cobbe told the court Oaten failed to see Ms Miller in time and could not stop but “skidded” and crashed into the side of her car.
Judge Hopkins said: “Ms Miller did not stand a chance.”
She suffered “catastrophic” injuries and later died at the University Hospital of Wales.
The prosecutor said Fettah avoided the two vehicles after “heavy braking” and parked around the corner.
He returned briefly to the scene, before leaving and getting picked up by a friend for a party.
The court heard the two defendants, who did not know each other, blamed each other for the fatal collision.
In a victim impact statement read out in court, the victim’s mother Denise Richards said: “I can never describe losing Jenna so suddenly and unnecessarily
“Me and my family are still devastated and I believe we will never fully recover.”
She described her daughter as her “best friend” and said they saw each other or spoke on the phone every day.
Ms Richards described her daughter as beautiful, intelligent and happy-golucky.
Ms Miller left behind a husband and two sons, aged six and 10, who now live with their grandparents.
Their grandmother said: “We find it difficult to come to terms with the fact we will never see Jenna again.
“The drivers will never understand or realise the utter devastation and heartbreak they have caused.
“It might have given them a bit of a buzz to drive so quickly on a public road, but their moment of madness has left me and my family with a lifetime of sadness.
“They still have a future in front of them, but Jenna does not.”
Greg Bull QC, defending Fettah, stressed his client had no previous convictions and suggested he had shown “genuine remorse”.
He told the court the whole race lasted for less than 20 seconds.
Fettah, from Maes Y Gwenyn in Rhoose, was sentenced to five years in a young offender institution and disqualified from driving for seven and a half years.
Christopher Rees, defending Oaten, told the court his client suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and had been unable to sleep since the incident.
He said: “Mr Oaten wishes to express his guilt and sorrow publicly.”
The court heard he worked as an engineer for a security company and had held a full driving licence for seven years.
Oaten, from Estrella House in Barry, was jailed for three years and nine months and disqualified from driving for seven years.
In his sentencing remarks, Judge Hopkins told the defendants: “Jenna Miller was a popular, clever and talented young woman with her life in front of her. You have taken that away.”
He added: “What prompted you to drive as you did, other than testosterone-fuelled competitiveness, is not known, but there is no doubt about what then happened.
“Ms Miller was barely 30 years old when she died. The effects each of you has had by your actions upon those who are bereaved in this case are all too clear.
“For her friends, her family, her husband and her two sons, you have imposed a life sentence.”
Senior Investigating Officer, Sergeant Chris Grey, from South Wales Police, said: “Oaten and Fettah will now spend a considerable time in prison.
“I sincerely hope they use the time to reflect on the devastation their selfish and reckless actions have caused.
“I hope this case sends a stark message to other motorists who fail to recognise how lethal a vehicle can be when in the control of an irresponsible driver.”