Drink-driver who killed teenager in crash after house party sentenced

Phoebe Johnson, 17, suffered fatal head and neck injuries and died in hospital

A father has told a court his hatred of the drink-driver who killed his teenage daughter is one of the only things keeping him alive.

Phoebe Johnson, 17, was a passenger in a car being driven by Melissa Keilloh that crashed on the A514 in Derbyshire on 23 October 2021.

The pair had been at a house party, with Keilloh heard admitting to her mother that she was too drunk to drive.

The 20-year-old was sentenced to three years in a young offenders institution.

On Tuesday, Keilloh, of Brookdale Road, Hartshorne, admitted causing death by careless driving when over the prescribed limit at Derby Crown Court.

Keilloh crashed 18 minutes after leaving the house party, having driven at speed around two corners, with her vehicle going through a hedge and coming to rest 39 metres away in a field.

Melissa Keilloh had been described as drunk by party attendees, and was heard admitting to her mother she was too drunk to drive

Sarah Slater, prosecuting, said when Miss Johnson said she was scared due to Keilloh's erratic driving, she replied "no you're not" and was heard on dashcam footage saying, "when I tell you to hold on, hold on" minutes before the crash.

Miss Johnson, who the court heard had not been wearing a seatbelt, sustained fatal head and neck injuries after being ejected from the car and died at the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham later that day.

Keilloh's charge stated she recorded a reading of between 97 and 149 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood when the legal limit is 80mg, with Judge Shaun Smith KC taking the reading as 97mg for the purposes of sentencing.

'Selfish and irresponsible'

Addressing Keilloh, Miss Johnson's father Paul said: "Your naivety, negligence and arrogance along with your stupidity was the cause of our daughter's death."

He added: "My hatred of you is only equal to the love of my daughter, and these two things keep me alive.

"You will still have a life after this. We will not have that luxury.

"You have taken away both our futures by your selfish and irresponsible actions. I hope [Phoebe] haunts you for the rest of your miserable life.

"We will never show you any mercy, nor will we ever forgive you."

Keilloh was also disqualified from driving for six and a half years.