Triple death crash driver guilty of dangerous driving

Daniel Cotton (19), of Harlington Road, Mexborough, escaped a prison sentence after he denied the charge but was found guilty at Doncaster Magistrates’ Court by district judge Jonathan Bennett after a day-long trial.

Three teenagers, Jonathan Scott (17), Robert Tepper (17), and Lauren Birkett (16), were killed after the Vauxhall Corsa being driven by Jonathan skidded into the path of an oncoming car on Adwick Road on December 27, 2010.

Cotton was the driver of a Vauxhall Astra being driven in convoy with the Corsa that night.

In the lead up to the accident, both cars were overtaken by a Fiat Punto driven by Daniel Cousins.

Four witnesses described all three cars driving closely together and “going too fast” at around 50mph on the 30mph stretch of Adwick Road.

Cotton denied speeding and claimed loud exhaust noises made witnesses think the vehicles were travelling faster.

But he was convicted and sentenced to do 200 hours community work over 12 months, disqualified from driving for 15 months and ordered to pay £600 costs.