A dangerous driver who caused a fatal crash on the M25, resulting in the deaths of a mother-of-eight and a young man, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison.
Barancan Nurcin, driving a white Citroen Dispatch van, collided with three other vehicles on Sunday, February 4. The crash involved a silver DFSK 580 Glory, a silver Skoda Superb, and a black Peugeot 5008, occurring between junctions 22 and 21A of the motorway.
The victims of this tragic incident were Zoe Hawes, 39, from Canvey, and Fahad Dek, 23, from Enfield. Mrs. Hawes, a mother to eight children and step-children, was on her way to celebrate her 40th birthday with her husband Wayne when the accident happened. Mr. Dek was a passenger in Nurcin’s van.
Nurcin last appeared in court on March 26, where he admitted two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and four counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He also confessed to driving without a license or insurance.
Today, at St Albans Crown Court, the 22-year-old was sentenced to 18 years for each of the two counts of causing death by dangerous driving. The sentences will run concurrently, as will smaller sentences for other offences.
In a poignant victim impact statement, Mrs. Hawes’s daughter described the devastating moment she learned of her mother’s death: “I remember screaming and falling to the floor. You have no idea how much pain you have caused me, my family, and everyone who I love. I will never forgive you for what you have done to our family. You can never do long enough in prison.
Wayne Hawes, who survived the crash but sustained life-changing injuries, described waking up with injuries to his neck, hip, ribs, and legs. He also suffered a brain bleed and has lost vision in one eye. In a video statement recorded from his hospital bed, Mr. Hawes’s sister recalled the heartbreaking moment he regained consciousness and asked about his wife by writing a “Z” on a pad. “All I could do was shake my head,” she wrote. “He couldn’t make a sound. Tears began to roll down Mr. Hawes’s face. I knew I had broken his heart.”
During the sentencing, Nurcin, dressed in a black shirt and trousers, showed no emotion. He will serve up to two-thirds of his sentence in custody, with the remainder on license.
Defence barrister Edward McKiernan argued that his client had not dragged out the case and had pleaded guilty, suggesting Nurcin’s youth and inexperience as mitigating factors. He also mentioned that Nurcin himself had suffered a potentially life-changing injury to his pelvis in the crash.
