The mother of a 17-year-old girl killed in a high-speed crash on the M65 has said her family has been given a "life sentence of grief" after the driver was jailed for five years and three months.
Demi Leigh Davies: A life cut short
Demi Leigh Davies, from Darwen, Lancashire, was a passenger in a Seat Ibiza driven by Leon Callaghan, 19, when he lost control near Junction 9 of the M65 in the early hours of October 2, 2024. Callaghan was driving at speeds of up to 113mph before the crash, according to Lancashire Police.
The court heard that Callaghan was in a dedicated exit lane when he made a late manoeuvre to rejoin the main carriageway. His car hit a bullnose point, lost control, crossed all three lanes, struck the central reservation, rebounded toward the hard shoulder, hit a barrier, and rolled several times before coming to rest on an embankment.
Demi Leigh suffered multiple injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital. Two other passengers, girls aged 17 and 19, suffered serious injuries but have since recovered. Callaghan was also seriously injured.
Driver's claims rejected
Callaghan, of Harwood Street, Darwen, admitted causing death by dangerous driving. He claimed he had blacked out at the start of his manoeuvre, did not remember driving at over 100mph, and that his foot must have got stuck between the pedals, causing the excessive speed. These claims were rejected by the court.
At Preston Crown Court on Friday, June 26, Callaghan was sentenced to five years and three months in prison. He was also banned from driving for seven years after his release and must take an extended driving test before he can drive again.
Family's devastating loss
In a victim personal statement read to the court, Demi's mother, Gemma, said: "There are no words that can truly describe the pain of losing a child. Every day I wake up with the reality that my daughter is gone. Every day I am reminded that I will never hear her voice again, never hear her laugh again, never be able to hold her again or hear her call me mum."
She added: "As a family, we will never see Demi become the woman she was meant to be. We will never see her progress in the career she had just begun. We will never see her achieve her dreams, fall in love, get married, or have children of her own. We will never know what her future would have looked like because it was taken from her before she had the chance to live it."
Demi had just been offered her first job in a care home, a role her mother said she would be perfect for given her caring nature.
Gemma continued: "Demi was only beginning her journey into adulthood. She had her whole future ahead of her. That future was stolen from her, and our family has been left to live with that loss every single day. Nothing can undo the pain and suffering that her death has caused. We have been given a life sentence of grief, and we will carry that burden for the rest of our lives."
Police statement
Detective Constable Olivia Maidment, of Lancashire Police's Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: "Demi Leigh was clearly a much loved young woman with her whole life ahead of her and my thoughts today are with all of her loved ones. Nothing can ever compensate for the loss of a life, but I hope at least that this sentence gives Demi Leigh's family some sense that justice has been done."
