A teenage girl has been sentenced after causing her friend a permanent brain injury when he fell from a car she was driving in a school car park.
School Car Park Incident Leaves Teen with Fractured Skull
On May 17, Chanelle Guest, then 17, was with friends in the car park of Brecon High School. CCTV footage played at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court showed the victim, also 17, sitting on the bonnet of a Renault Clio while Guest was in the driver's seat.
Guest began to drive the vehicle with the young man still on the bonnet. As she attempted a right-hand turn, he slipped off, striking his head on the road surface.
Father's Harrowing Account of 'Lifeless' Son
The victim's father provided a devastating personal statement to the court. He described arriving at the scene to find his son "covered in blood" and appearing "lifeless" in the arms of a police officer.
The teenager suffered a severe head injury, including a complex fracture to the left side of his skull, multiple brain bruises, and several areas of bleeding. After days in critical care, he was discharged on 24 May, but later readmitted when the left side of his face began to droop.
"He has a long term brain injury which has affected his short term memory and day to day life," the father stated. "Medical professionals have told us they don't know how long it is going to take for him to recover."
Suspended Sentence for 'Utterly Remorseful' Driver
Guest, now 18 and from Lower Penywaun, Llanddew, Brecon, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving. The court heard she had no previous convictions and was "utterly remorseful."
In mitigation, her barrister, Hilary Roberts, described her as a caring person who looks after her autistic brother. He stated the victim had climbed onto the bonnet and the accident would not have happened otherwise.
Judge Jeremy Jenkins noted the "feckless and youthful behaviour" that led to the tragedy, stating it had left a young man permanently disabled. He said he did not regard Guest as criminally inclined.
Guest received a 21-month sentence in a young offenders institute, suspended for 21 months. She was also ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and banned from driving for two years.
