Dope Smoking Killer Driver Running Illegal Taxi Scam Drove At 130mphA Hexham man who killed 18-year-old Lucy Duggan in a head-on crash has been jailed for eight years.
Martin Adrian Li, 22, ignored the cries of his screaming passengers as he reached speeds of up to 130mph on the A695 near Corbridge on August 25, Newcastle Crown Court heard.
And the mechanic, in the dock on his birthday, had smoked a cannabis joint less than three hours before the crash.
The court also heard Li lied about his age in order to obtain insurance for his 225bhp Ford Focus ST - telling the provider he was 20 years older.
Back seat passenger Lucy Duggan, of Wall, Northumberland, died after Li's car veered onto the wrong side of the road and hit a Suzuki on a bridge in the village of Dilston, near Hexham.
Four other people were seriously injured.
Li, wearing a black suit and white shirt with no tie, sat forward and listened intently as Paul Rowland, for the prosecution, outlined the details of the case.
He explained how Li was known to use Facebook to offer lifts for a small fee.Li's friend, Alex Crowe, met Li at his home and the pair smoked a cannabis joint in the garage at 4.30pm before collecting Lucy Duggan and her friend Lauren Jewitt, 18, from a house in Hexham at about 7pm.
Crowe took the front passenger seat and Lucy sat behind him, with Lauren behind Li.
Rowland said: "Li's driving was unremarkable until he reached the A695.
"The witness at that time, a Mr Soulsby, said Li appeared keen to pass two cars ahead of him.
"He remarked to his wife 'he's in a hurry'."
Lauren later told police that Li passed the two cars at what she thought was 80mph.
The court heard Li told his passengers the road was his favourite and when Lauren responded by asking him to slow down, he replied: "The bends are the best bits."
Crowe is said to have looked at the speedometer and understood the car to be travelling at 130mph. Lauren also saw the speedometer at a similar time and gave a statement saying Li was driving at 100mph.
"Both girls were screaming and upset," continued Rowland.
"As Li approached the bridge he crossed into the opposite carriageway.
"He turned the steering wheel and returned to the correct side of the road but then skidded back to the wrong side.
Li crashed into a Suzuki driven by Sheila Miller as it made its way over the bridge towards him at no more than 35mph.
Rowland added: "She had no time to react and a head-on collision occurred."
VIDEO: Facebook videos expose Martin Li's dangerous driving
http://tyneandwear.sky.com/news/article ... m-drove-atLucy suffered internal injuries and lost consciousness soon after the crash. She died at the scene.
Lauren had to undergo a five-hour operation to have metal rods inserted into her spine.
Sheila Miller, the driver if the Suzuki, lost part of her intestine. Her passenger, daughter Sarah, was also injured.
Crowe also suffered serious injuries.
Li was unscathed and later underwent a blood test which revealed the presence of cannabis in his system.
But the prosecution said there was no suggestion that it had impaired his driving.
The court heard he exercised his right to silence throughout police interviews.
In mitigation, Robin Patton for the defence, began: "This is a tragedy without any kind of parallel, and it will stay with the Duggan family forever."
Patton said that Li had shown remorse from an early stage and, that during visits to see him on remand, Li had said he was unable to sleep and kept reliving the crash in his head.
He went on to argue that it would have been difficult for Crowe and Lauren to see the speedometer clearly from their positions in the car.
Patton added that an independent expert believed the speed of the car on impact to be 71mph.
He also cited reports from the probation service that suggested that Li was suffering from low self esteem and that owning a high-powered car was a way to overcome this.
Patton said: "He has always accepted that he has to receive a significant prison sentence."
Li pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, four counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and one count of making a false statement to obtain insurance.
Two counts of dangerous driving were ordered to lie on file after Li denied them.
Jailing him for eight years for causing Lucy's death, His Honour Judge Evans said: "You killed someone needlessly and selfishly. You Have to live with that fact for the rest of your life.
"If it haunts you for the rest of your life no-one would shed a tear."
Li was additionally sentenced to five years' prison for four counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and 12 months' prison for making a false statement to obtain insurance.
He will serve those sentences concurrently.
His mother and sister, sitting at the front of the full public gallery, waved at him as he was led away.
http://tyneandwear.sky.com/news/article ... m-drove-at
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