‘Callous’ driver who left dying girlfriend after crash jailed for 10 years

A “callous” driver from Merthyr Tydfil, who crashed his girlfriend’s car and left her dying on the road has been jailed for 10 years.

Cameron Jones, 30, reached estimated speeds of up to 120mph on a road with a 20mph speed limit in heavy rain on the evening of April 5 this year.

Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard he lost control of the Audi S3 he was driving along Swansea Road in the town and crashed into a garden wall – causing fatal injuries to Demi Mabbitt, 25, from Aberfan.

Jones used her mobile phone to phone police as she lay dying on the pavement 27 metres from the wreckage of the car, having been thrown from the vehicle, and told the operator: “My missus has just crashed her car.”

Fleeing the scene

He collected a bag from the vehicle before fleeing the scene, handing himself to police 24 days later.

The defendant, who had been released from prison just 30 days before the fatal crash, later pleaded guilty to causing Miss Mabbitt’s death by dangerous driving and two related charges.

Judge Jeremy Jenkins jailed Jones for 10 years, describing how he left Miss Mabbitt dying on the road as “inhuman and self-centred”.

“Your actions were deliberate and dangerous,” the judge told Jones.

“You said ‘My missus has just crashed her car’.

“You knew that was untrue. Despite her lying seriously injured on the wet road nearby, you callously sought to blame her for what happened and absolve yourself of your responsibility for what you had done.

“You took a bag from the vehicle and ran away, leaving her on the wet road surface, some 27 metres away from the crash site.

“Your actions were inhuman and self centred.”

Appalling record

The judge said Jones had an “appalling record”, with 27 convictions for 55 offences including two for dangerous driving in 2015 and 2018.

He added: “At the time of this incident, you had been released from your last period of custody for only 30 days.”

Jones wrote a letter to the judge, describing Miss Mabbitt as the “love of your life”, the judge said.

The judge told Jones: “I find that disingenuous and untrue. No-one would leave the love of their life alone and catastrophically injured on a wet road.”

Prosecuting, Abigail Jackson described how Jones was seen driving the Audi at about 11.45pm on April 5, with a witness estimating he reached speeds of 70mph before accelerating to between 110-120mph.

The court heard it is not possible to ascertain the exact speed the vehicle was being driven at before the collision.

After crashing the car, Jones was seen by the witness and asked him for a lift – later telling another witness “I need to get the guy who was driving the car”.

Miss Mabbitt, who sustained extensive head injuries, received first aid from a member of the public before paramedics attended the scene. She died in hospital on April 12.

Untraceable

Ms Jackson told the court: “The defendant was untraceable by the police for a period of time. He surrendered himself at a police station over three weeks later.”

Jones refused to answer questions in interview but gave a prepared statement admitting he was responsible for the crash and Miss Mabbitt’s death.

In a victim personal statement read to the court, her father Paul Mabbitt said: “The world and our family are smaller and incomplete without Demi here.”

Directly addressing Jones, he said: “You took Demi from my family. For that, I will never forgive you.”

Mr Mabbitt said his daughter had been in a relationship with Jones, who her family did not approve of, for four years and remained with him “as he was in and out of prison”.

Her sister, Gemma Williams, told Jones: “You left our girl alone on a cold, dark, wet road, fighting for her life. You didn’t even have the decency to call an ambulance.

“I can’t grieve for my sister because I am consumed by the anger and hate I feel for you.”

Speaking after the case, Detective Sergeant Debbie Hobrough, of South Wales Police, said the death of Miss Mabbitt had shaken the whole community.

“Cameron Jones’ actions on April 5 were appalling and his attempts to escape justice ultimately failed,” she said.

“Today’s sentence will mean that Jones is behind bars and unable to cause further harm.”

Jones admitted causing death by dangerous driving, causing death by driving without insurance, and causing death by driving while disqualified.

In addition to his prison sentence, for which he will serve half in custody, Jones was disqualified from driving for 10 years.