Jade Duncan, a 41-year-old mother-of-two from Dundee, sent a chilling message to a friend saying a dangerous driver was "going to kill us" just moments before she died in a horrific crash on the A1 in Northumberland. The car, driven by Sean Hogan, reached speeds of up to 100mph before leaving the road and plunging down a grass embankment at Highfields Roundabout in Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Desperate Final Messages
Newcastle Crown Court heard that Ms Duncan contacted a friend as Hogan's driving became increasingly reckless. Prosecutor Omar Ahmad said she sent a message stating: "We are in a field, he's doing 100mph, he's going to kill us." She later made a video call to the same friend, during which she could be heard screaming. She also asked, "Will you look after my bairns?"
Minutes later, the Peugeot failed to negotiate the roundabout near the A1167 North Road junction, crashed down an embankment, and came to rest. Emergency services rushed to the scene, but Ms Duncan was pronounced dead.
Driver's Criminal History
Hogan, 46, of Brighton Road, Gateshead, admitted causing death by dangerous driving, causing death while uninsured, and causing death while disqualified. The court heard he should never have been behind the wheel. He had been banned from driving only days earlier after being sentenced at Luton Crown Court on January 23 for offences including aggravated vehicle taking and dangerous driving. Despite the ban, Hogan drove an unroadworthy Peugeot that had failed its MOT just six days before the fatal collision; none of the defects had been repaired, and he was also uninsured.
Details of the Crash
Prosecutors said Hogan drove dangerously for more than an hour as he travelled from Dundee towards Newcastle on January 28. Earlier that evening, the Peugeot had been involved in a collision in Scotland, but Hogan drove away from the scene and continued south. Tests later showed he was more than twice the legal drink-drive limit. Hogan suffered a serious brain injury in the crash and spent time in hospital in a coma.
Witnesses described seeing the Peugeot hurtle off the road. One told police they heard a loud bang before seeing "a black car flying through the air." Another said the vehicle drove "straight over a roundabout, down an embankment and came to a stop." Mr Ahmad told the court: "Ms Duncan was identified as the passenger and sadly was pronounced deceased at the scene."
Sentencing and Victim Impact
On Monday, Judge Penelope Moreland jailed Hogan for a total of 17 years and four months. The sentence consists of 12 years in prison with a four-year extended licence period, plus an activated 16-month suspended sentence imposed days before the fatal crash.
Heartbreaking victim impact statements from Ms Duncan's children described their devastation. Her daughter, Raychel Duncan, said: "If he had not been driving, this collision would not have happened. Our mum would still be with us today. We lost our mum in a preventable collision and not an accident." Addressing Hogan directly, she said: "I hope you realise the damage you have caused to my family." Paying tribute to her mother, Raychel described Ms Duncan as "the heart of our family. She was the most loving, caring and vibrant woman. She was lively, strong and always looking after everyone. She was our everything."
Ms Duncan's eldest son, Robbie, told the court: "Standing here today is something I never imagined I would have to do. Speaking about my mum in the past tense is something I still struggle to accept." He said his mother's death had "changed my life forever," adding: "What happened was not only tragic but also preventable. My family and I are living with the life sentence of grief, pain and loss. My mum deserved better than this."
Defence and Judge's Remarks
Defending Hogan, Richard Herrmann said his client felt "genuine remorse" and wished he could change what had happened. He told the court Hogan "spends every night of every day wishing that he could swap places with Jade - that she could have lived and he died."
Judge Moreland said Hogan alone was responsible for the tragedy. "You have caused that family what they describe as unbearable pain," she said. "The responsibility for that lies with you. You took a deliberate decision to ignore the rules of the road."
