Thomas Peggs of Walpole Highway given more than three years in prison for careless driving after crash that killed 20-year-old Grace Robinson
A man whose “joyride” caused the death of a 20-year-old mother has been jailed.
Thomas Peggs, a 32-year-old from Walpole Highway, appeared at Cambridge Crown Court this afternoon, having pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving in Gorefield.
The sentencing comes after he was found not guilty of causing both death and serious injury by dangerous driving back in April.
The court heard how on February 3, 2023, Mr Peggs left a pub with the 20-year-old, after drinking three pints, to pick up Ms Hall.
He drove out of the village in his Jaguar XKR via Gote Lane, a 30mph road, at twice the speed limit in what the judge described as “full throttle”.
With both girls in the car, Peggs got to speeds of up to 80mph when he lost control as he went over bumps in the road.
The vehicle veered onto a grass verge, where it collided head-on with a large tree and caught fire.
Data from the airbags recorded the car crashing at 71mph.
Witnesses rushed to the scene, pulling Peggs from the wreckage, and emergency services attended to take all three to Addenbrooke’s hospital.
Two days later, Grace’s family made the decision to take her off life support as she was brain-dead.
“I was speechless and in total shock that my Grace was gone,” her mother, Karen Robinson, said.
Macie went on to spend eight months in the hospital and, as a result of the incident, has memory loss, cognitive impairment and now needs 24/7 care.
The judge said Pegg was “showing off to two pretty young girls by taking them for a joyride”.
In mitigation, it was said that the driver was now a “broken man”.
“There was no doubt that he was remorseful,” his solicitor said.
It was also highlighted that he had no previous convictions, had been driving for more than a decade and had a “clean” record.
Due to the injuries he sustained at the time, it was not possible to do a toxicology report to determine whether or not he was over the legal alcohol limit to drive.
“No sentence can bring Grace back,” the judge said.
“No sentence can make up for the loss of her life.
“No sentence of this court can make Macie Hall fit and well mentally and physically.”
For causing death by careless driving, Peggs was handed two years and four months’ imprisonment.
On top of that, he will serve an additional 12 months for the injuries caused to Macie.
The courts also handed him a four-year driving ban, and he will have to pay a victim surcharge of £228.
In a victim statement, Grace’s mother tearfully said: “How can I ever be the same? My Grace is gone.”