A dance teacher has avoided an immediate jail sentence after a prank that left her 18-year-old friend with catastrophic brain injuries. Evie Robinson, 20, was driving her Audi A1 across a car park in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, last August when two friends fell from the boot after she accelerated.
The victim hit her head on the ground and was placed in a coma for six weeks. She now suffers from seizures, mood changes, and requires speech therapy. Robinson pleaded guilty to causing serious injury through dangerous driving and was handed a two-year suspended sentence at Nottingham Crown Court.
Judge Robert Egbuna described the incident as 'a prank that had gone seriously wrong', noting that Robinson did not intend to cause harm. The court heard that earlier in the evening, the victim had been seen climbing on the roof of another car, which was driven by someone else.
In a victim impact statement, the teenager's mother said her daughter had 'lost her future and dignity' and could no longer pursue her dream of a career in veterinary medicine. Robinson's defence said she was 'riddled with guilt' and had 16 character references supporting her.
