Boyfriend of woman who died asked driver to stop speeding car, inquest hears
The boyfriend of a woman who was killed by a drink driver begged him to stop the car as it raced away at over 100mph, her inquest has heard.
Kitchen designer Lillie Clack, 21, of Morden, south London, was injured and died days after the crash in the early hours of December 25 2021.
On Thursday, the inquest into the death heard that drink driver Charlie Hilton, 25, was chased by police before his Mercedes hit a tree, flipped over and burst into flames.
Residents in Beeches Avenue, Carshalton, south London, grabbed fire extinguishers and rushed to help.
Miss Clack's boyfriend Jack Watson and best friend Delia Casey were among those who were badly hurt.
The car was overcrowded, with six people squeezed inside, South London Coroner's Court sitting at Croydon Town Hall heard.
The friends had been enjoying a Winter Wonderland attraction in the West End and visited a pub in Morden before accepting a lift home from Hilton.
In a statement Mr Watson, who was in the back seat wearing a seatbelt, said he was 'shocked and I remember thinking why is he going so fast' when the car sped away so quickly.
Mr Watson later recalled: 'I think I might have said 'Charlie what are you doing, why are you going so fast'. I think the girls were in shock.'
He remembered seeing police blue lights and sirens and described Hilton's driving as 'dangerous and quick'.
During the journey, he said: 'I thought Charlie could easily lose control. I did not want to be in the car. I felt scared because I had been in a crash before on my bike.'
Mr Watson said 'it felt too fast' and he wanted to get out saying 'it just felt unsafe'.
He remembered saying 'Charlie, slow down. What are you doing? Let me and Lillie out.'
He recalled Hilton telling him to shut up.
Mr Watson cannot recall all the details of the chase, the inquest heard, but he remembered Hilton running a red light at some point before the crash.
Hilton did an illegal U-turn and was undertaking and overtaking vehicles.
Mr Watson added: 'I do not remember hitting a tree. The only memory I have is being pulled out on a stretcher and bleeding from my lip.'
He added: 'I remember asking 'where's Lillie?'. I remember being in an ambulance and blood on my jacket but I do not know where the blood came from.
'My clothing was cut off from me – and I knew then that it was bad.'
The passengers have gaps in their recall of the crash but remember feeling 'shocked' as the car raced away, continuing to build speed, it was said.
Hilton was told by his passengers that a police vehicle had turned its blue lights on behind them and was indicating for him to stop.
Instead, he sped up and was driving so fast that the passengers bumped their head on the roof of the car as they were chased by police, the inquest heard.
In a statement, Miss Casey who was sitting on the front seat said: 'Everyone was shouting inside the car. There was a lot going on and I was just feeling very fearful for everyone in the car. The speed we were going at made me feel terrified.
'It feels like I was only in there for a few seconds. It feels like a blur.
'Even after I visited Lillie's tree, I still have no memory of the accident.'
Miss Casey said she 'was not my usual self' but was not drunk when she got into the car and was not wearing a seatbelt.
She added that 'at no point did Charlie appear drunk to me. He did not seem to be drunk as he was not talking loud and he was not stumbling'.
Miss Casey was among a group of friends who had been to the pub and had accepted a lift from Hilton to drop them off at her home a few minutes away.
Her boyfriend had won a 6ft inflatable banana at Winter Wonderland earlier that day which blocked the view of the friends who got in to the back seat.
Nadia Avent, who was in an taxi when she saw the car explode in the early hours, said: 'The car overtook a taxi at great speed. It looked like a video game because of the speed he went past us.'
She added that she saw 'the car exploding in front of us' and then dialled 999 to inform the emergency services.
The court heard that at some point Hilton was thought to have been driving at over 100mph and was pulling away from police who called off the chase after losing sight of the Mercedes.
At one point in the chase Sergeant Alexander Gill said his police car was doing 90mph in a 40mph zone and Hilton's Mercedes was 'greatly getting away'.
He did not have a record of Hilton's speed but accepted an observation from that the Assistant Coroner for London South Sebastian Naughton that 'when you are driving at 100mph and you think he was going upwards of 100mph.'
In February 2023, Hilton was jailed at the Old Bailey for 10 years and six months after pleading guilty to causing Ms Clack's death by dangerous driving, three counts of causing serious injury, failing to stop when directed and driving above the alcohol limit.
He was also disqualified from driving for five years after his release from prison.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Naga Munchetty tells how she has always 'hated seeing people bullied' - after she too faced complaint amid probes into BBC Breakfast culture
Naga Munchetty has said she 'hated' to see people bullied at school after it was revealed she allegedly bullied a junior staffer on BBC Breakfast last year. In an interview days before the allegations against her resurfaced, the presenter, 50, had said she battled against rude comments made about her appearance and talent. The TV and radio host from south London said: 'I was no angel but I hated seeing people bullied. 'I remember there were a couple of kids in school who were bullied and I just hated it. 'So I'd always kind of be that person who would speak to everyone.' Speaking on the Walking The Dog With Emily Dean podcast she explained that she confronts people that upset her at work. The presenter, who is already at the centre of BBC Breakfast 's toxicity row, was reportedly spoken to by bosses over a sex jibe she made while off-air at BBC Radio 5 Live. This comes as BBC Breakfast finds itself at the centre of a bullying and misconduct probe, with editor Richard Frediani taking an extended period of leave after an internal review of the allegations was opened into the show. According to The Sun, Naga used a slang term for a sex act during an off-air break. In an interview days before the allegations against her resurfaced, the presenter, 50, had said she battled against rude comments made about her appearance and talent The alleged remark in 2022 was said to have stunned the studio and led to Naga being spoken to by bosses. It was then reported that on BBC Breakfast last year, Naga was spoken to over alleged bullying of a woman. The BBC are now reportedly facing questions over whether there are 'double standards'. It comes as it was also reported that BBC Breakfast's editor Richard has taken an extended period of leave, after an internal review of bullying and misconduct allegations was opened into the show. It was previously claimed that the show's staff are feeling increasingly 'uneasy' around Frediani, with the former Head of ITV News accused of 'shaking' a female editor while working on the show. The Sun claimed that Richard has stepped back from the show, and while he had already taken time off to go on holiday, has mutually agreed to extend his break. Sources are also claiming that BBC bosses have held a series of meetings on how to handle the developing crisis. In an internal email obtained by the publication, John McAndrew, Director of Live and Daily News, thanked staff for their 'positivity' during this 'stressful time' - and informed them of Richard's decision. A source added: 'Fredi was already taking a break because obviously the allegations against him have been pretty damning, and he needed time to reflect. 'He's devastated by some of the claims and has also had a lot of behind the scenes support from colleagues, many of whom think he's a brilliant boss. 'BBC executives have ensured duty of care measures and he is still in touch with a few of the team. Right now, it's imperative that the BBC gets its house in order and ensures everyone is happy.' When contacted by MailOnline, a BBC representative said: 'While we do not comment on individual cases, we take all complaints about conduct at work extremely seriously and will not tolerate behaviour that is not in line with our values. 'We have robust processes in place and would encourage any staff with concerns to raise them directly with us so they can be addressed.'
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Rail minister Peter Hendy facing private prosecution for texting while driving vintage double-decker bus
RAIL minister Peter Hendy is facing a private prosecution for texting while driving a busload of sightseers. Police dropped the case against Lord Hendy citing 'insufficient evidence' — despite him apologising. But passenger John Sarson, 68, who made the initial complaint to cops, has applied to prosecute. The businessman said he saw Lord Hendy texting at the wheel of a vintage double-decker bus near Westminster Bridge in central London on March 28. In April, a spokesman for the 72-year-old peer said: 'Last month Peter Hendy used his phone while driving. He has apologised in full for this error of judgment and has contacted the police.' A source said: 'John is baffled over how someone can admit to police he committed an offence but not face prosecution.' The Met Police initially said in April the case had been closed because of a lack of evidence. But Lord Hendy then reported himself to the Met which reopened the case before closing it again last month. John is waiting to hear from the City of London magistrates' court if his legal bid is successful. Lord Hendy was approached for comment. 1
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE 'The life we built has been destroyed': Heartbroken family-of-five left homeless after 'stranger burnt down £64k canal boat because he wrongly believed they had torched his boat'
A devastated family-of-five fears their 'life has been destroyed' after an intruder allegedly broke into their houseboat and set it alight in what is believed to be a case of mistaken identity. For the last six years, Tess, 35, and her husband Akin, 33, have painstakingly turned their canal boat from an empty shell into a comfortable family home. They always viewed 'October' - named after the month in which their first child Asa, five, was born - as more than just a floating residence. Aside from the cosy internal living area, the 60ft boat was built to be a sustainable home, with solar power panels, a water filtration system and its very own roof garden, which was known for its lush array of tomatoes, strawberries, aubergines, cucumbers and potatoes. There were also many other reasons the boat held such a special place in their hearts - for it was here on board October that the couple's two youngest children Myra-Rae, 3 and Zephaniah, aged four months, were born. But cherished memories might be all the family have left to hold onto after their houseboat, docked in Hackney Wick, east London, was set alight by an individual unknown to the family in the early hours of Saturday, May 24. Thankfully, Tess and the children were away camping at the time, while Akin had gone out for the evening with friends. But when he returned, fire crews were already at the scene battling to put out the ferocious flames. In that moment, Akin, who works as a digital health consultant, believed it could be 'the end of everything' - and was left helplessly watching from the bridge as October was consumed by flames. Before and after: The family had lovingly restored the boat from a shell into a 'beautiful' home - but now they fear they might not be able to return A Met Police officer told the family afterwards they may have simply been unfortunate victims of 'mistaken identity' in a possible tit for tat boat-burning incident. Now effectively homeless, the family has had to resort to staying for a few days at a time with friends after Hackney Council revealed there was no emergency housing anywhere in London. As a single income family-of-five they say a mortgage is simply out of their reach, while the cost to restore the boat to its former glory could prove far too high. Adding to their woes, they bought October in 2019 as an unfitted boat for £64,000 and spent the next six years transforming it into their 'beautiful' family home. But they did not get it reassessed by their insurance before the boat was set ablaze - meaning they stand to only get a payout for its original value as an empty vessel and not what it could have been worth before the fire. Determined to help them return to the life they one knew, friends of the family have set up a GoFundMe appeal to ease their financial burden, but the couple admit the tragedy could spell the end of their canal boating days. Speaking to MailOnline, Tess explained how she and Akin first began living on canal boats nine years ago. 'The lifestyle we have enjoyed with the children has been wonderful because you can be in London, but you're also in nature. 'You've got the marshes and the ducks on the water. There's a really nice boating community and we've met many other families with young children.' But that almost idyllic existence was brought to an abrupt halt over the last Bank Holiday weekend. Recalling the events of that night, Akin said he was walking home after an evening out with friends when he could see an array of emergency lights in the distance and 'a massive deal going on'. He said: 'A fireman stopped me and said: "Well, you can't come through here." But then I told him I live on a boat, so he walked me up to the bridge, pointed and said, "Is it that boat there?" 'That's when I saw my home was on fire. There were firefighters and police cars everywhere. 'In that moment I just thought it was the end of everything. I couldn't imagine anything surviving from what I could see - not much did. 'But it was also this feeling of we built that. It's not like we rented the boat. That was everything we had built over the last almost 10 years. 'It just felt unbelievable to think everything was gone.' Among the items destroyed forever were those steeped in sentimental value, including a teddy bear their eldest, Asa, has slept with since he was a baby. Tess said: 'I lost my great-grandmother's jewellery box, which she had given to me and I was really close to her. So that was upsetting. 'There was also a quilt, which is an old family thing, and also another quilt that my mum made for my son when he was born, and lots of things like that.' Meanwhile Akin has lost many of his prized personal effects. 'I've been DJing since I was 16 to pay my way through university - now all my DJ equipment has gone and my record collection has melted,' he said. 'All my musical instruments, the piano, my guitars, they were destroyed as well. 'I enjoyed collecting sneakers since I was 20, and those have all been burnt up. 'We hardly have anything of our own anymore.' In the aftermath of the incident, the couple say returning to the fire-ravaged wreck has left them traumatised as they began to process what had happened. 'The first time I went back I was in shock. Just the devastation was incredible. 'Everything was gone, it was full of water and there was broken glass everywhere. 'I had to go in again when the insurance surveyor came and looked at it, and I found that much harder. I came out shaking that time,' said Tess. Asa added: 'I couldn't recognise my own home. Part of me thought we had been broken into and robbed, but the forensics guy started pointing out computers, phones, water bottles. I didn't recognise anything because it had all melted.' For now, the family are trying to come to terms with the loss of their home as they decide what their next steps will be. While they have been offered emergency housing, it would have meant having to move miles outside of London and away from friends, school and work. 'The first thing my three-year-old asked when I told her about the fire was "has my nursery burnt down as well?", recalled Tess. 'I couldn't take the children away from everything they know. 'They've lost their home. I can't have them lose everything else all at the same time. 'So I was desperate to keep them at their school and in the community. 'Moving away would also mean that Akin and I wouldn't have any support or help, and it just seemed completely overwhelming. 'But it's hard for us, because every week we are having to find someone else who can host us. We understand that no one can put up a family-of-five indefinitely.' Akin continued: 'The insurance money might pay for rent for two or three years, but it's not enough for a mortgage. That's the real shock of the whole thing. We don't really know how to restart. 'People have discussed rebuilding the boat, but a couple of professionals we spoke to said the interiors could be very toxic, and we're not sure we could afford to get it rebuilt and refitted. 'Our friends and the boating community have been just overwhelmingly supportive and kind. 'We're just trying to see what our way forward will be.' A 34-year-old man of no fixed address has been charged with arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered. He is due to appear at Wood Green Crown Court next week.
