Mum killed daughter, 3, and cousin in crash while 'showing off'

Mary Stokes caused the death of two of her family and left four other people seriously injured

A mother who caused the death of her three-year-old daughter and teenage cousin when she crashed a car has been jailed.

Mary Stokes, 23, who lacked a driving licence, admitted causing the head-on crash in County Durham last September.

Her daughter was thrown from the car and her 17-year-old cousin died in hospital, Durham Crown Court heard.

She was jailed for three years and eight months and disqualified from driving for seven years.

Stokes, from Cairo Street, Sunderland, had five passengers - all aged under 18 - in the Peugeot 206 when she began "showing off" on the A1068 near Horden, the court heard.

Two small children were not in child seats during her "persistent" spell of bad driving.

Prosecutor Richard Bennett said three-year-old Kelsey was thrown from the car and killed, while cousin Shauna Stokes, who was in the back, died the following day.

The court was told the car had recently failed its MOT, had been sold for scrap and Stokes did not have any insurance.

'Crippling depression'

Earlier that day, she was seen driving the Peugeot erratically in a leisure centre car park with two young children inside.

Witnesses reported the car being driven "at speed" before Stokes had to slow for traffic. She was then seen carrying out a U-turn and heading off in the opposite direction.

Another driver swerved out of her way but when Stokes tried to overtake a vehicle she lost control and crashed into an oncoming Mercedes van.

Three of the under-18s in the car were seriously injured in the crash, as was the van driver.

Stokes admitted two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and five counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

David Outterside, mitigating, said his client had been left "bereft" at the loss of her daughter and cousin, and was now suffering from "crippling depression and grief".

Judge James Adkin said she appeared to have focused on giving the occupants a thrill, throwing them around in the car, rather than "shielding them from harm".

He told Stokes: "There is evidence you were showing off to the passengers in your car that day."

Sgt Cat Iley of Durham Police said: "This was a horrific incident for all those involved, including the emergency service workers who attended the scene.

"Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of the two girls who tragically lost their lives in this collision."