Leighton Buzzard man jailed for killing brother and woman in crash

The families of Reece White, 23 and Ellie Ogden-Hooper, 19, said they would be missed and were much-loved

A man has been jailed after his brother and ex-girlfriend were killed when he crashed into a tree in Bedfordshire.

Ellie Odgen-Hooper, 19, and Reece White, 23, died in the crash on Toddington Road, Tebworth, in January.

Jordan White, 20, of Wallis Drive, Leighton Buzzard, who was uninsured, fled the scene and when arrested claimed his brother had been driving.

White previously admitted two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and was jailed for six years.

St Albans Crown Court heard that White, who was 19 at the time, had no licence, was driving a black Vauxhall Corsa that was "unroadworthy" and was over the legal cannabis limit when he crashed.

Two other passengers, aged 16 and 21, suffered serious injuries.

Prosecutor Stefan Weidmann said the defendant had overtaken an Audi, crossing double white lines on the crest of a hill, prior to the crash.

"It was an appalling piece of driving," he said.

Jordan White was jailed for six years after admitting causing two deaths by dangerous driving

One of the surviving passengers said White was driving to "impress" Ms Ogden-Hooper.

Steven Arnold, the Audi driver, said: "The car was shifting when it overtook me. He started to lose control. I could see it swaying across the road.

"I think it spun and went up in the air. It almost seemed to jump and went down the verge on the opposite side of road. Bits of the car were falling off."

Another driver who witnessed the crash said White looked "genuinely scared" as he tried to control the Corsa.

Ms Ogden-Hooper's mum said her family were "in pieces" and Reece White's family said they were "devastated".

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Defending, Darryl Cherrett said: "He has to live with what he did that day. He expressed genuine remorse for the pain he has caused to Ellie's family and his own."

Sentencing, judge Michael Kay QC said: "I am satisfied at times you were driving too fast and showing off."

He added that others stopped to help but he had fled in a "cowardly fashion".

"In a callous and utterly despicable way you sought to blame your own deceased brother for what occurred," he said.

"It is almost beyond comprehension that you sought to apportion blame to him to save your own skin."

White was also banned from driving for nine years.