Man Jailed After Tragic Crash Kills Three and Injures Teen
A man from Battle has been locked up after a deadly crash that claimed three lives and left a teenager seriously injured. Jack Diamond, 30, admitted three counts of causing death by dangerous driving and one of causing serious injury when he appeared at Maidstone Crown Court on 8 May 2018.
Deadly Collision on Rye Road
The horrific smash happened at 9.30pm on Saturday, 23 September 2017. Diamond was behind the wheel of a red Volvo Estate carrying four passengers. The crash instantly killed 50-year-old Stephen Jones and 44-year-old Roy Little. Teenager Chelsea-Rose Betts, just 16, survived the initial impact but tragically died three days later at Kings Hospital.
Diamond and a 13-year-old boy also survived, but the youngster suffered serious injuries. The group had been drinking at a pub in Hawkhurst before setting off just before 9.30pm. Diamond, reportedly seen drinking that evening, was driving along the A268 Rye Road heading toward Sandhurst when disaster struck near the hamlet of Four Throws.
Witnesses Describe “Accident Waiting to Happen”
Eyewitnesses told the court the Volvo was speeding and driving dangerously. One witness called it “an accident waiting to happen.” The injured 13-year-old told police Diamond had “driven away from the pub very quickly” and increased speed before the crash.
Describing the moments before impact, the boy said the car felt “airborne” over a hill’s crest. Diamond pleaded guilty to all charges at court.
Seven Year Jail Term and Driving Ban
Diamond was sentenced to seven and a half years for each death and three years for causing serious injury, all to run concurrently. He has been banned from driving and must pass an extended test before regaining his licence.
Sergeant Hannah Brown of Kent Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit said:
“The sentence reflects the severity of the incident. Three people lost their lives due to Diamond’s reckless and dangerous driving. He was over the drink drive limit and lost control of the car. Drink driving costs lives and is never worth the risk. The fact this tragedy was so easily preventable makes it even more heartbreaking.”
