A heartbroken and angry family confronted a conman mechanic who passed the MOT of a car that killed three young people. Rafel Jeanne, 24, was driving a car with four passengers inside before it crashed and killed him, and two passengers, Darcy Ross and Eve Smith, both 21. Sophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, were injured in the horror crash that happened in St Mellons, Cardiff, but survived.
The five friends were on their way home from a night out before the Volkswagen Tiguan crashed into trees on a roundabout. Neil Lewis, a mechanic, has admitted fraud by false representation after passing the car’s MOT despite being aware that it had failed its safety inspection.
Court Details
As reported by the Sun, Darcy’s family approached Lewis outside Cardiff Magistrates’ Court with a framed photo of their loved one shouting “Darcy Ross, remember her name”. The court heard that the vehicle had previously been involved in a crash in Scotland in 2021, to which it suffered damage to its nearside wing, the airbags had deployed, and the airbag and seatbelt warning lights were on. However, the car was sold to a salvage company in Cardiff and no work had been carried out on it before it was sold at auction to a friend of Rafel Jeanne.
The Volkswagen failed an MOT on February 9, 2023, as there was an issue with the seatbelts. Lewis subsequently conducted a re-test and passed the Volkswagen.
Mechanic's Messages
Officers found messages on Lewis’ phone to the owner of the car saying: “You’ve got to sort the seatbelt and the airbag light. I’ve passed the car though.” The devastating crash took place on March 4, 2023. A court previously heard that the group had been drinking alcohol and inhaling laughing gas prior to the crash.
Six police officers were charged with misconduct allegations in connection with the investigation but two have been cleared following an internal hearing. It is understood that the car left the road on a slip road on the A48 as it approached a roundabout. A major hunt for the friends was launched after they were reported missing but it took two days to find the wreckage.
Prosecution Statement
Prosecutor Francesca Parry said the seatbelts in the car had not been replaced since the car crash in Scotland. She told the court that Lewis had authorised the car to pass the MOT despite knowing about the issues. Lewis, 47, will be sentenced on August 19.
