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Maidstone taxi driver Paul Jeffree sentenced to 16 months in prison after causing the death of Basingstoke teenager Charlotte Riches

A Maidstone taxi driver who caused the death of a teenager after crashing into her stationary car on a motorway has been sent to prison for 16 months.

Paul Jeffree, 58, of Marsham Street, was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court after pleading guilty to causing death by driving without due care and attention at an earlier hearing.

A jury failed to deliver a verdict on an alternative charge - causing death by dangerous driving - following a week-long trial in January.

Paul Jeffree has been jailed. Picture: INS
Paul Jeffree has been jailed. Picture: INS
Charlotte Riches died in the crash. Picture: Facebook
Charlotte Riches died in the crash. Picture: Facebook

Jeffree pleaded not guilty on that count.

He has been disqualified from driving for three years and will have to take an extended driving test before being allowed to get back behind the wheel.

The fatal collision happened on the M3 near Sunbury-on-Thames on October 10, 2014 when a Vauxhall Zafira being driven by Jeffree hit a Toyota IQ2, which was stopped in traffic.

Guildford Crown Court. Google Street View
Guildford Crown Court. Google Street View

Following the crash, the Toyota caught alight.

The driver of that car, 18-year-old Charlotte Riches from Basingstoke, suffered serious injuries and was taken to St George's Hospital in Tooting but sadly died several hours later.

Sergeant Eddie Ryan from the Surrey Police collision investigation unit said: "This was a tragic incident where a young girl lost her life as a result of Jeffree's irresponsible driving."

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