A driver accused of killing two girls when her vehicle crashed into a Wimbledon primary school has made her first court appearance. Claire Freemantle, 49, faces two charges of causing death by dangerous driving and seven counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving following the incident at The Study Prep school in July 2023.
Incident Details
Eight-year-old schoolgirls Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau lost their lives as the school celebrated the last day of the summer term. The crash also left several others seriously injured.
At Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, Freemantle, of Edge Hill, Wimbledon, was allowed to sit behind her lawyer instead of in the dock during the hearing. Wearing a dark-colored trouser suit, she spoke only to confirm her identity and was not required to enter a plea.
Charges and Victims
Freemantle is accused of killing Nuria and Selena, as well as causing serious injury to Nuria's mother, Smera Chohan, another mother named Tamsyn Van De Vyver, a third mother, and four children. The injured children include one infant and three girls aged seven and eight.
Criminal charges were announced in May after the victims' families criticized the Metropolitan Police for their investigation into the crash. In June 2024, Scotland Yard initially stated that the driver had suffered an epileptic seizure and would face no charges. However, that decision was later reversed, and the Met apologized for its initial handling of the incident and the impact on those affected, promising to fundamentally reset how it investigates fatal and serious collisions.
Legal Proceedings
Following the charges, Freemantle's lawyers previously indicated she would plead not guilty. During the hearing, defense lawyer Sallie Bennett-Jenkins KC requested that Freemantle be allowed to sit in the well of the court due to health concerns. Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring sent the case to the Old Bailey for a hearing on July 14 and released Freemantle on unconditional bail.
