A mum who killed two teenagers in a high-speed crash cried ‘I’m so sorry’ in court as she was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Natasha Allarakhia took sips of lager and drove at speeds of up to 96mph before the crash on the A17 in North Rauceby, Lincolnshire, last June 20.
She smashed into the back of a stationary Ford Fiesta which was waiting at temporary traffic lights, killing 17-year-old driver William Ray and 18-year-old Eddie Shore, and seriously injuring another of the two teenage passengers.
Allarakhia, 36, lied at the scene for more than an hour about who had been driving, claiming her partner’s friend was behind the wheel and had run off.
Both of her young daughters were in the back of her car.
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But she pleaded guilty to causing two deaths by dangerous driving and one count of causing serious injury by dangerous driving in June.
Allarakhia appeared at Lincoln crown court yesterday where she was jailed for 10 years and banned from driving for more than 12 years.
Eddie’s mother Kerri Foster said: ‘Everybody loved Eddie. He’s gone and I’m heartbroken.
‘I yearn for him constantly and remember all the special things about him. He was my baby boy.’
William’s mother Sarah Barker said: ‘Will was such a caring, conscientious and compassionate person. Will has always been by my side, it’s like part of my identity died with Will.’
The defendant sobbed in the dock as the teenagers’ mothers read victim statements to the court, at one point crying out ‘I’m so sorry’.
Despite sipping from a can of lager during the drive, during which she hit speeds of 96mph on the 60mph road, Allarakhia was not recorded as being over the legal alcohol limit at the time of the collision.
She started to brake about 37m before the collision point, but the temporary traffic lights would have been visible from 620m away.
Prosecutor David Eager told the court that the group of friends had a ‘pleasant evening’ watching football and that William had not consumed any alcohol before getting behind the wheel, instead showing ‘exemplary’ driving.
Mr Eager said William had applied the handbrake and footbrake at the temporary traffic lights that evening.
The barrister said: ‘He was sat talking to his friends at the lights when behind him this defendant drove her car.
‘She was driving at that point, the Crown would say, at 96mph. Not only was she driving at 96mph, she was not paying attention to the road.
“She drove at speed into the back of that vehicle. Even with the tiny amount of braking she did, she hit that vehicle at 70mph.
‘At the scene, when spoken to she said she was a passenger in the Audi. She said that the person who was driving was her partner’s friend and he had run off. All of this took place in the presence of her two young children.’
The defendant, whose partner was also a passenger in the car and was injured in the crash, was described as a ‘fast driver who doesn’t really concentrate’.
Allarakhia was disqualified from driving in January this year over failing to provide information about two speeding offences in the weeks before and after the fatal crash.
Edward Renvoize, defending Allarakhia, said: ‘Her demeanour throughout this case has been one of genuine and deep remorse.
‘Ms Allarakhia intends never to get behind the wheel of a car again.’
Judge James House KC said during sentencing: ‘They were greatly loved, they are greatly missed. What comes through most of all is the opportunities lost.’
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