Sobs echoed through St Albans Crown Court as Wayne Hawes paid a heartfelt tribute to his “irreplaceable” wife, Zoe Hawes. The devastating incident occurred when Barancan Nurcin, a violent criminal, crashed a stolen van into the couple’s car while driving the wrong way on the M25 to evade the police. The Canvey couple was on their way to Luton airport for a four-day holiday to celebrate Mrs. Hawes’ 40th birthday.
Wayne Hawes spent weeks in an induced coma, battling life-threatening injuries. When he finally regained some semblance of consciousness, one of his first actions was to inquire about his wife by writing a “Z” on a pad, unable to speak due to his injuries. The moment he learned of her passing was described as “harrowing” by family members who had to break the tragic news to him repeatedly due to his drug-induced short-term memory loss.
