FacebookA teenager who had only passed his driving test the day before killing his passenger has been detained for five years.
Corey Cooper, then 17, killed his friend Joshua Atkins, also 17, when he lost control of his Fiat car and crashed into metal fencing on Myers Grove Lane, Stannington, Sheffield, on 11 November 2023.
Cooper pleaded guilty to causing Joshua’s death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving in relation to a second passenger.
Speaking after the Sheffield Crown Court sentencing, Joshua’s family said they were backing a campaign calling for stricter laws for newly qualified drivers so his death could be the “spark that saves others”.
Police footage played in court during the hearing showed Cooper, now 19, driving up to 53mph in a 20mph zone and ignoring his dashboard which was “lit up like a Christmas tree”.
The court heard the ABS and brake warning lights were illuminated for about 1.5 hours, with experts later confirming the ABS system had not been functional but had not contributed to the collision.
Moments before the crash, just after 23:00 GMT, a friend following in another vehicle remarked that his driving style would “one day kill someone”.
Family handoutIan West, prosecuting, said that no sooner had she spoken, they came upon the collision site.
“The defendant had blood on his hands and was saying, ‘what have I done? What have I done? I killed my best friend’,” Mr West said.
Joshua sustained catastrophic injuries to his spine and brain, while a second passenger was seriously injured, he said.
Joshua was taken to Northern General Hospital in Sheffield but when it became clear he would not survive, his family made the decision to donate his organs.
His heart went to a man in his 40s, his liver to a man in his 50s and his kidneys to a man and woman in their 20s.
Joshua’s aunt Claire Chapman said his death had been “utterly shattering for all our family and friends”.
It did not ease the pain of losing him, she said, however it had brought them some comfort knowing he had saved others.
“Through organ donation, Josh has saved four lives,” she said.
“That is who was – he was generous selfless and brave.”
Family handoutIn a statement read out in court on behalf of the second teenage passenger, he said the collision would “haunt me for the rest of my life”.
He said: “Every lost dream, every night I can’t sleep and every tear shed for my best friend Joshua was avoidable.”
Sophia Dower, for Cooper, said her client, who has no previous convictions, wished to apologise to all affected by his actions.
She said Cooper had been a close friend of Joshua and had felt part of his family, describing his relationship as “like a brother”.
She said having caused his death “only intensifies the guilt and grief” he felt.
“All he can think about is what he could do to change the outcome,” she added.
Sentencing Cooper, the Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, told him: “By your criminal conduct you have wrecked the lives of two families as well as wrecking the lives of your own family.
“You took a deliberate decision to ignore the rules of the road and you were significantly in excess of the speed limit when driving that motorcar down that lane.”
In addition to his detention in a young offenders institution, Cooper was banned from driving for seven years and three months.
Family handoutMs Chapman, speaking on behalf of Joshua’s parents and sister, described Joshua as an “amazing person” who was “full of promise and happiness”.
“He was an extremely popular and vibrant young man and had many, many friends,” she said.
She said the family wanted to see the introduction of graduated driver licensing imposing conditions on new drivers for a period of time after passing their test.
“If such a system was in place, Josh would still be with us, still living his life,” she said.
“Please, let Josh’s legacy be more than tragedy.”
Insp Kieran Frain, from South Yorkshire Police, said Cooper’s actions were a result of his “inexperience, increased risk taking and driving at excess speed”.
“Let today’s sentencing serve as a powerful message to all young drivers,” he said.
“If you take risks this will happen to you.”
