By JOSHUA HAINING, NEWS REPORTER
Published: | Updated:
A rogue mechanic who wrongly passed the MOT of a car that killed three young people in a crash has avoided jail.
Neil Lewis, 47, fraudulently passed the MOT on a Volkswagen Tiguan which had failed its safety checks when it veered off the road and smashed into trees near St Mellons, Cardiff, on March 4.
The driver, Rafel Jeanne, 24, and passengers Darcy Ross and Eve Smith, both 21, died in the crash as the group drove from Newport, Gwent, along the M4 to the seaside resort of Porthcawl on a night out.
The friends were left trapped in the vehicle wreckage near a roundabout for two days before they were found following a manhunt.
Fellow passengers, Sophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, survived the crash but suffered injuries.
Lewis, who owned G and J Motors, admitted fraud by false representation at Cardiff Magistrates' Court after passing the car's MOT knowing it should have failed its safety inspection.
He was spared jail and was instead sentenced to a 12-month community order and is required to complete 100 hours of community service.
Ms Ross's family confronted the mechanic outside Cardiff Magistrates' Court with a framed photo of the young woman shouting: 'Darcy Ross, remember her name.'
Neil Lewis is confronted outside Cardiff Magistrates' Court by Darcy Ross's mother
Darcy Ross, 21, was killed in the crash. Her mother confronted Lewis after he left court
Prosecutor Francesca Parry said the Volkswagen Tiguan was previously involved in a crash in Scotland in 2021.
The vehicle's wingmirror was damaged, its airbags were deployed, and the airbag and seatbelt warning lights were on.
But it was sold to a salvage company in Cardiff and no repair work was carried out on the vehicle before it was sold at auction to a friend of Mr Jeanne.
The Volkswagen also failed an MOT on February 9, 2023, Ms Parry said.
There was an issue with the seatbelts and the light indicating a fault with either the seatbelt or the airbag.
Lewis then conducted a re-test and passed the Volkswagen with some advisories.
Following a police investigation, officers found messages on Lewis' phone to the car's owner that said: 'You've got to sort the seatbelt and the airbag light. I've passed the car though.'
Ms Parry added that the seatbelts in the car had not been replaced since the car crash in Scotland five years earlier.
The vehicle's driver Rafel Jeanne, 24, died in the crash (left). Shane Loughlin, 32, was found alive in the wreckage after a two-day search for the group
Eve Smith, 21, was also killed. She was inside the Volkswagen when the vehicle veered off the road and into a wooded area
Sophie Russon, 20, was also found alive in the vehicle which crashed near a roundabout in Wales
She previously told the court that Lewis had authorised for the car to pass the MOT despite knowing about the safety issues.
On the night of the crash, the group had visited Muffler social club in Maesglas, Newport, and travelled 40 miles to the seaside spot of Trecco Bay in Porthcawl.
The last reported sighting of them was in Cardiff shortly after 2am on Saturday.
A court previously heard they had been drinking alcohol and inhaling laughing gas prior to the crash.
Their families raised the alarm and reported them missing after they failed to come home from the night out on March 4.
Six police officers were charged with misconduct allegations in connection with the investigation - after they were accused of failing to act - but two have been cleared following an internal hearing.
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