Teenage driver who filmed himself steering with knees before crash is jailed

A teenage operator who filmed himself steering with his knees earlier helium crashed into the backmost of different car, paralysing a parent from the cervix down, has been jailed for 2 years and 2 months.

George Taylor, who had held his licence for little than 12 weeks astatine the clip of the collision, was utilizing his telephone passim his travel to assemblage connected January 18 past year, Norfolk Police said.

The 19-year-old, of Stretham, Cambridgeshire, recorded 5 videos showing him driving a Volkswagen Golf astatine velocity and overtaking different vehicles portion utilizing his knees connected his steering wheel, the unit said.

He besides made 2 calls and sent substance messages.

At astir 11am helium failed to spot a Skoda Fabia waiting to crook close successful beforehand of him connected the A47 astatine East Tuddenham and crashed into the backmost of it.

The Skoda driver, a 40-year-old parent named Catherine, was paralysed from the cervix down arsenic a effect of the collision and present requires lifelong care.

Taylor pleaded blameworthy astatine an earlier proceeding to causing superior wounded by unsafe driving, Norfolk Police said.

The unit said helium was sentenced to 2 years and 2 months successful situation astatine Norwich Crown Court connected Monday.

He was besides banned from driving for 40 months and told helium indispensable instrumentality an extended driving trial earlier helium tin thrust again.

The household of the unfortunate said successful a connection released done police: “Catherine has ever been specified a gregarious idiosyncratic with a large consciousness of humour and truthful afloat of life.

“She had a beardown enactment ethic and would enactment her manus to thing and everything.

“She besides dotes connected her son.

“I’ll ne'er hide that time erstwhile we were told she had been successful an mishap and past arriving astatine the infirmary to beryllium facing the world that we whitethorn suffer her.

“To perceive that my lone girl whitethorn not past was heartbreaking and, arsenic her dad, each I wanted to bash was marque everything amended for her.”

The connection continued: “The past 22 months person been traumatic and portion I can’t alteration anything, I anticipation that by speaking retired I tin marque others alert of what tin hap connected the roads.

“Catherine’s beingness was changed successful a divided second, and I wouldn’t privation that connected anyone.

“My absorption present is to assistance Catherine and her lad arsenic overmuch arsenic I tin to marque their lives arsenic comfy arsenic possible.”

Sergeant Callum Walchester said that Taylor “didn’t acceptable out… intending to origin unimaginable injuries to different idiosyncratic but sadly that is precisely what helium did”.

“Catherine was a acceptable and steadfast parent who now, arsenic a effect of Taylor’s actions, volition unrecorded retired the remainder of her beingness paralysed and requiring lifelong attraction and support,” helium said.

“Catherine and her household person agreed for america to archer her communicative to item the dangers that utilizing a mobile telephone poses, successful the anticipation that nary 1 other is successful their position.

“This is testament to their spot and outlook and for that I convey them.

“George Taylor made aggregate decisions to usage his mobile telephone that time and successful doing truthful enactment himself and everyone other astatine important risk.

“It was Catherine who has paid the price.”