Speeding driver guilty of killing friends after crash in Battersea
- Published
Adele Okojie Aidonojie was found guilty of causing the death of two friends
A 23-year-old woman has been found guilty of causing the death of two friends as she crashed her car while driving at twice the speed limit.
Adele Okojie Aidonojie crashed the convertible car after travelling at least 60mph (100km/h), on Latchmere Road, Battersea in July 2022.
Rida Boutjettif, 24, and Mary Macharia, 23, died after they were thrown out of the car, the Old Bailey heard.
Before the crash, they had been filmed dancing in the back of the car.
Following a trial, Okojie Aidonojie, from Bromley, was convicted of two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and one count of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
Prosecutor Sally Mertens said Ben Sidibe, Ms Macharia and the defendant had travelled to pick up Mr Boutjettif from a nightclub where he was working.
Mr Sidibe, who was the front seat passenger and suffered a fractured arm and a bleed to the brain following the crash, told police Jamaican music had been playing.
He added Mr Boutjettif and Ms Macharia had been "twerking" in the back of the car. He said he had taken a video of them dancing.
'Don't call police'
CCTV taken shortly before the collision showed the Mini travelling at 62mph before its wheels started to grind against the raised kerbstones on Latchmere Road and the car overturned.
The defendant told a witness at the scene: "Don't call the police or ambulance, I'll get arrested," the court heard.
She then claimed to a police officer the incident was a "hit and run."
Giving evidence in her defence, Okojie-Aidonojie accepted driving carelessly but said her hand had been tugged and had slipped off the driving wheel.
She also told the court after the accident she had drunk from a bottle of vodka that was in the glove compartment in the car.
Judge Richard Marks KC said it was "a very sad and tragic case."
He adjourned sentencing until 5 April.
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