Jail for 'lunatic' killer driver

The defence said Winter had wanted to die following the crash

A motorist whose dangerous driving caused the deaths of two young sisters and their mother's partner in a crash has been jailed for eight years.

Andrew Winter, 32, was driving like a "lunatic" on the A264 at Bewbush, West Sussex, when the crash took place in October 2005, Lewes Crown Court heard.

His car hit the central reservation, then the car which the three were in.

Winter, from Paddockhurst Road, Crawley, pleaded guilty to three counts of causing death by dangerous driving.

He was overtaking vehicles at more than 90mph (145km/h) on the dual carriageway before his Ford Focus was catapulted into the air as if it "had been shot from a cannon" and struck the central reservation, a witness told the court.

This... was an appalling piece of driving, the consequences of which are so terrible that no words can adequately reflect the shattering effect your actions have had Judge Richard Brown

It then hit the driver's side of the Land Rover Freelander, killing Rebecca and Lucy Hassell, aged 15 and 12, from Fishbourne, near Chichester, along with 44-year-old Theodorius Lubbe.

The girls' mother, Amanda Hassell, and their 17-year-old sister Kim - who were also passengers in the Land Rover - survived the collision.

Rebecca, Lucy and driver Mr Lubbe died instantly from their injuries.

Alan Kent, prosecuting, said the family were returning from a shopping trip and Winter was travelling home from work when the crash took place.

One witness, James Rowland, who was driving a 16-seater minibus, told police Winter was driving like a "lunatic".

"He screamed past me and whizzed past so fast that the engine was roaring. It was unbelievable seeing that speed. It was beyond fast. It was excessive."

'Appalling driving'

Winter told police the reason he was travelling at about 95mph was because he was tired and hungry after a long day at work and wanted to get home to sleep.

Rock Tansey QC, defending, said: "It is very much to his credit that he has been very frank that he was driving too fast and lost control of his car."

He added that Winter had since lost his job and had expressed his wish to die.

Judge Richard Brown jailed Winter for eight years on each count to run concurrently, and described the case as one of the saddest over which he had presided.

"This, in my view, was an appalling piece of driving, the consequences of which are so terrible that no words can adequately reflect the shattering effect your actions have had," he said.

Mrs Hassell said: "Whatever happens to him, it will never hurt him like it has hurt us. When he is out of prison, his life will carry on."