'Hot hatch' drivers jailed for causing Forest of Dean mum's death

Terri-Ann Marshall was "the life and soul of any event", her mum said

Two "hot hatch" drivers who killed a mum by racing down a country lane have been jailed for more than 15 years.

Tom Hill, 32, and Lyndon Parsons, 26, were racing down the B4228 in Sling when Hill lost control of his "souped-up" car and hit Terri-Ann Marshall.

Ms Marshall, 36, was declared dead at the scene on 28 January 2022.

Hill and Parsons both pleaded guilty to causing Ms Marshall's death by dangerous driving at Gloucester Crown Court on Friday.

The pair were driving at twice the legal limit in their modified hatchback cars near Coleford when Hill lost control of his Ford Fiesta ST.

Meanwhile, Lucy Alexander, 23, of Carbonne Close, Monmouth, pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice by giving Parsons, of Smithville Close, St Briavels, a false alibi.

Alexander claimed she was with Parsons at the time and that he was not involved in the crash.

Parsons admitted the same charge of giving a false account of his whereabouts to investigating officer PC Thomas Jones.

'Behaving like adolescent males'

Lyndon Parsons, pictured, met Tom Hill four days before the crash when they both helped a woman to resolve her car issues

The Recorder of Gloucester, Judge Ian Lawrie KC, said that Hill, of Walford Avenue, Ross-on-Wye, was "unfamiliar" with the road he sped down with Parsons which explained "why he struggled to keep up with Parsons".

"What you indulged in was racing on the public highway and you were showing off to each other," the judge said.

"Despite your ages, both of you were behaving like adolescent males."

Hill and Parsons first met four days before the crash, and met again when Parsons visited the vape shop Hill worked at, where they spoke about their "various high performance vehicles".

Tom Hill previously claimed the back injuries he sustained in the crash had left him "virtuallly immobile" but was later seen walking unaided around Birmingham Airport with a backpack

Parsons told Hill he would show him one of his other cars at his home in St Briavels.

Prosecutor Mark Worsley said: "Shortly before 17:10 GMT when the vehicles were close to the Orepool Inn the second vehicle, driven by Hill, went out of control and became airborne whilst driving over the brow of a hill.

"As Hill regained control of the vehicle and corrected the steering he collided with a Mini being driven by Ms Marshall from the opposite direction."

Judge Lawrie then said that Hill "effectively took off", leaving the road surface and giving Ms Marshall "no time to react".

Ms Marshall, a mum-of-two, suffered fatal injuries and was declared dead at the scene by paramedics.

Meanwhile, Alexander was sentenced to a nine month prison term, suspended for two years.

Lucy Alexander pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice

She was also ordered by the judge to undertake 200 hours of unpaid work and pay a contribution towards court costs of £500.

The judge also ordered the deprivation of Parsons' Volkswagen Golf.

Sorely missed

Ms Marshall's mum, Helen Dawson, told the court her daughter had been "the happiest she had been in a long time", having been in a "loving relationship with her fiancé Will" for many years.

Six weeks after the crash, the father of one of Ms Marshall's daughters died.

"We miss her so much. Terri-Ann was the life and soul of any event," Ms Marshall said.

"No parent should have to endure such a tragedy.

"Our lives will never be the same again."