Speeding driver who killed his passenger jailed

A speeding driver who had been drinking and taking nitrous oxide before a fatal crash in North Lincolnshire has been jailed for more than 10 years.

The single-vehicle crash happened on the A161 at Belton in July last year.

Connor Malpass, 25, of Rectory Gardens, Wheatley, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, admitted causing the death of Natasha Woroch and causing serious injury to two other passengers.

Grimsby Crown Court heard he had been travelling at speeds of more than 80mph (about 130km/h) seconds before the crash in a 30mph (about 50km/h) limit.

Prosecutor Laura Marshall told the court Malpass had repeatedly ignored requests by his "terrified" passengers to slow down, telling them "it was all right".

One witness who heard the VW Golf shortly before the crash described it as sounding like a car on a race track, being pushed to its limits.

One of the passengers told police Malpass had been "driving like an idiot".

Ms Woroch died at the scene from her injuries, the court heard.

Prior to the crash, Malpass had been inhaling canisters of nitrous oxide as well as drinking alcohol.

The court was told that he had emerged from the wreckage of the car with a balloon in his mouth – commonly used to inhale nitrous oxide, known as laughing gas.

CCTV footage showed him searching the area for a watch instead of trying to help his victims.

He also removed a rucksack containing alcohol and nitrous oxide from the vehicle and gave it to his front-seat passenger, who had been unconscious for several minutes, to dispose of.

The prosecution said that was an attempt to dispose of incriminating evidence.

In victim impact statements read to the court, Ms Woroch's family and friends described her as "one in a million".

"This was not an accident – it was a deliberate act that resulted in the death of my child," her mother said.

She described it as the worst day of her life, adding that she felt guilt that "I wasn’t there to protect you".

"When I saw the policeman at the door, part of me died that day, too," she added.

Judge Richard Woolfall told Malpass the death of Ms Woroch and the serious injuries suffered by the other two passengers were a "direct result of your actions".

"They were deliberate and prolonged," he said, adding: "You were selfish, arrogant and were showing off."

The judge told Malpass he had acted without dignity in the immediate aftermath of the crash by searching for the watch.

"You should have spent your time providing reassurance," he said. "You sent [your friend] to dispose of items you believed were incriminating."

He said his actions had had a "devastating impact" on the friends and family of Ms Woroch, adding Malpass had shown "a lack of genuine remorse" - so much so that he had been caught driving a Land Rover about a week ago with no insurance, despite an interim driving ban being in place.

Malpass was sentenced to 10 years and six months for causing death by dangerous driving and to three years and four months each for two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, with the sentences to run concurrently.

He was also disqualified from driving for 17 years and must take an extended retest before he can reapply for a licence.

Follow BBC Lincolnshire on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]