Warwickshire, UK – A teenage driver who caused a crash that killed three of his school friends and seriously injured three others has been sentenced to two years in a youth offenders institution.
Edward Spencer, now 19, admitted to causing the deaths of Harry Purcell, 17; Matilda Seccombe, 16; and Frank Wormald, 16, by careless driving following a devastating collision near Shipston-on-Stour in April 2023.
The crash occurred just six weeks after Spencer passed his driving test. He was behind the wheel of a Ford Fiesta travelling at 64mph when it collided with a Fiat 500 carrying a woman and two children.
The young victims, all students at Chipping Campden School in Gloucestershire, were on their way home when their lives were tragically cut short.
Spencer, from Newbold on Stour in Warwickshire, had initially denied all charges but pleaded guilty in March to three counts of causing death by careless driving and three counts of causing serious injury by careless driving.
During sentencing at Warwick Crown Court on Monday, Judge Andrew Lockhart KC described the crash as “catastrophic” and “terribly inevitable” due to Spencer’s previous reckless behaviour behind the wheel.
The court was told that Spencer had a history of “showing off” and speeding, with social media videos revealing a pattern of dangerous driving. CCTV footage also showed him travelling well above the speed limit just minutes before the crash.
“The lethal combination of excessive speed and failure to adapt to road conditions led to this appalling outcome,” said Judge Lockhart. In addition to the custodial sentence, Spencer was banned from driving for eight years and must take an extended retest if he ever wishes to drive again.
The impact of the tragedy has rippled through the families and community. Toni Purcell, mother of victim Harry, said her son’s death was “completely avoidable” and left her family “broken beyond repair.”
“He was cheeky, kind, and full of life. He loved football and travelled across Europe to support his team,” she told the BBC. “There’s a massive hole where Harry should be.”
Juliet Seccombe, mother of Matilda, described her daughter, known affectionately as “Tilly,” as “beautiful, bright, and funny,” with dreams of becoming a chef and travelling the world.
Both mothers expressed support for graduated driver licensing, which would place stricter conditions on new drivers, such as restricting them from carrying passengers during their initial months on the road. They also backed the use of black box technology to monitor driving habits.
In the Fiat 500, the stepmother and her two young passengers, aged 10 and 12, suffered severe injuries. The children have undergone multiple surgeries and continue to live with lasting trauma.
Detective Sergeant Stephen Barr of Warwickshire Police said, “This was a truly tragic collision. The consequences of careless driving can be devastating.”
Spencer, in a statement read during court proceedings, expressed remorse: “I never intended for this to happen. I live every day with the pain of knowing how many lives have been impacted.”
The case has renewed calls for urgent reforms in how young drivers are trained and monitored, with grieving families now advocating for change to prevent further tragedies.
