SerpApi.Org
A rogue mechanic passed the MOT of a car in which three young people were killed despite knowing it should have failed its inspection, a court heard.
Neil Lewis, 47, admitted fraud by false representation over the MOT issued for a Volkswagen Tiguan that was carrying five people on a night out when it crashed.
Eve Smith, 21, was killed alongside Darcy Ross, 21, and Rafel Jeanne, 24, the driver, who died when the car left the road and smashed into woods.
Sophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, were found alive but trapped in the wrecked vehicle in St Mellons, Cardiff, nearly two days later.
The group was reported missing having driven from Newport, Gwent, along the M4 to a caravan park at the seaside resort of Porthcawl on the evening before the crash in March 2023.
Lewis, of Ely, Cardiff, appeared at the city’s magistrates’ court after a lengthy police investigation.
Francesca Parry, prosecuting, said the Volkswagen had previously been involved in a crash in Scotland in 2021.
It suffered damage to its nearside wing, the airbags had deployed, and the airbag and seatbelt warning lights were on.
But it was sold to a salvage company in Cardiff, and no work was carried out on the vehicle before it was sold at auction to a friend of Jeanne’s.
The Volkswagen failed an MOT on Feb 9, 2023, Ms Parry said. There was an issue with the seatbelts and the light indicating a fault with either the seatbelt or the airbag.
Lewis subsequently conducted a retest and passed the Volkswagen with some advisories.
Officers found messages on Lewis’s phone to the owner of the car saying: “You’ve got to sort the seatbelt and the airbag light. I’ve passed the car, though.”
Ms Parry said the seatbelts in the car had not been replaced since the car crashed in Scotland.
She told the court that Lewis had authorised the car to pass the MOT despite knowing about the issues.
Lewis pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation and will be sentenced on Aug 19.
Ross’s family said in a statement issued before the hearing: “We lost our loved one, Miss Darcy Ross, following a road traffic collision on March 4, 2023. Two other families lost loved ones in this collision.
“We understand that Mr Neil Lewis has been charged with fraud following an investigation conducted by South Wales Police into the collision.
“We do not wish to prejudice the outcome of these criminal proceedings. We are therefore limited in what we can say at this stage. We want justice for Darcy. We want the truth to come out about what caused her death. We want anyone who caused or contributed to her death to be held accountable.”
