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A drunk public schoolgirl was banned from driving today after one of her friends was killed when she crashed her car after a night out.
Gabriella Edmondson, 18, insisted on driving despite being told by friends that she was too drunk, a court heard. One even tried to snatch the car keys from her but she said: “My car, my rules.”
Edmondson, a pupil at St Edward's School in Oxford, admitted causing the death of Grace Hadman, 17, by careless driving while drunk, Oxford crown court heard.
She was one-and-a-half times over the drink-drive limit when she crashed her Toyota Yaris into a barrier on the A34 near Oxford.
Another friend, promising rugby player Joe Robinson, was left critically injured following the smash. A fourth person escaped with minor injuries.
All youngsters in the car were pupils at St Edward's and were believed to be returning from a nightclub at the start of the Easter holidays last April. Cathy Olliver, prosecuting, said: “Two people told her [Edmondson] not to drive and one person tried to take the keys away from her. She said something along the lines of my car, my rules'.”
On adjourning the case for pre-sentence reports, Judge Mary-Jane Mowat imposed an immediate interim disqualification from driving. Edmondson, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, remains on bail until she is sentenced on 9 October. In a statement following the death of Miss Hadman, who was from Lower Swell, near Cheltenham, her family paid tribute to the “perfect girl”.
They said: “To us, she was the most perfect girl — thoughtful, kind, knowing, sensible, bubbly, happy, endlessly smiling, loving, and giving — so very beautiful inside and out.”
Andrew Trotman, headteacher of St Edward's, said Grace was the school's netball captain and was Head Sacristan at the school chapel. She was studying A-level maths, art and biology and planned a gap year. Mr Trotman said: “She was very personable, lively and very popular”. The case continues.
Reader views (4)
Am astounded that other people got into a car with a person so clearly incapable of driving properly. Clearly in this girl in this state would will not listen to reason and could not be restrained from driving they should not have accompanied her and thus put their own life at risk.
Am saddened by the events however do feel needless lives would not have been affected had common sense prevailed.
- Sara Ancill, Dartford, Kent, 15/09/2009 09:50
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Who's the more foolish, the person driving whilst drunk or the person getting in the car knowing that the driver is drunk?
- Bob, Cheam, 15/09/2009 09:25
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And which nightclub establishment will not be prosecuted for allowing underage kids in and serving them.
- Dk, London, 14/09/2009 22:43
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If her friends knew she was so drunk, why did they get in the car with her?
- Liz, Italy, 14/09/2009 16:56
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