Drunk driver who killed friend in crash detained

Yasmin Martin, now aged 19, admitted causing death by dangerous driving

A drunk new driver who ignored desperate pleas to slow down before she crashed and killed her 17-year-old friend has been detained for eight years.

Yasmin Martin, then aged 17, was almost twice the drink-drive limit and driving at up to 80mph on a 30mph road when she crashed in Sunderland in December 2022, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

Her friend Mia Marsh, who was one of three young female passengers, was killed instantly.

Martin, who initially lied to police that someone spiked her drink, admitted causing death by dangerous driving.

Martin, Miss Marsh and two other friends had gone for a night out on 2 December in a Vauxhall Astra Martin's father had rented that afternoon, prosecutor Kevin Wardlaw said.

Shortly before 01:00 GMT on 3 December, they left 7even nightclub and set off home, with Miss Marsh initially driving the car after a bar manager stopped Martin from getting behind the wheel due to her drunken state.

Mia Marsh suffered a fatal head wound in the crash

The group stopped at a petrol station, where Martin took control of the car after she became "fussy" that Miss Marsh was driving, the court heard.

None of the four women were initially wearing seatbelts and Martin, who was not insured to drive the car and had only held a full licence since May 2022, drove at speed, Mr Wardlaw said.

Her friends screamed at her to slow down but that only made Martin "angrier" and drive faster, with one of the passengers later telling the police it was like Martin "didn't care" and thought she was "invincible".

As the car reached between 75 and 80mph on the A1231 near the Queen Alexandra Bridge, Martin lost control and hit a barrier before crossing over the central reservation and coming to rest 590ft (180m) down the road, Mr Wardlaw said.

Mia Marsh's mother said the teenager had loved life and was full of energy

Martin, now 19 and of Aldwych Road in Sunderland, was found to have 152mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood, the legal limit being 80.

She told police she could not remember anything after being given a drink by an "old man" in one of the bars the group visited, claiming she had been spiked.

But CCTV footage and evidence from bar staff proved her to be lying as the group had bought all their own drinks, Mr Wardlaw said.

Footage of the crash was shown to the court at the request of Miss Marsh's family, many of whom attended the sentencing wearing pink shirts with a picture of her face on.

'Appalling' death

In a statement read to the court, Miss Marsh's mother said the teenager was "full of life" and always "full of fun and energy", adding: "She would light up a room when she walked in."

She said her daughter had been "robbed of her future" while her family had to watch Martin share social media posts about going on holiday and a baby daughter she gave birth to in October 2023.

Miss Marsh's mother said the family was "stuck in a nightmare we cannot wake up from".

"We still think [Miss Marsh] will one day come bouncing back in, singing, being cheerful as she was," she said.

In mitigation, Matthew Bean said Miss Marsh had been Martin's "closest friend" since early childhood and the killer driver would "have to live with the fact she caused her death".

He said she wished she could turn the clock back and was genuinely remorseful.

Judge Christopher Prince said no sentence he could impose could reflect the "terrible and appalling loss of life" caused by Martin.

He said Miss Marsh's life had lain ahead of her, while Martin, who would be detained at Young Offender Institution, would have to serve five years and four months in custody before being eligible for release.

Martin was also banned from driving for 10 years and four months and must pass an extended test.