A teenager who inhaled laughing gas at the wheel before losing control of his BMW and crashing into a tree has been jailed for nine years after pleading guilty to killing his three teenage passengers.
Thomas Johnson, 19, breathed nitrous oxide in through balloons while driving at more than 100mph on a 30mph road in Marcham, Oxfordshire, on June 23 last year.
Daniel Hancock, 18, Ethan Goddard, 18, and Elliot Pullen, 17, died in the crash – and Johnson has admitted three counts of causing death by dangerous driving.
Footage filmed on a mobile phone inside the car moments before the crash on the A415 showed the group laughing and passing nitrous oxide canisters to the front.
Johnson – who survived with serious injuries – could be seen with a balloon to his face, while the vehicle’s tyres could be heard screeching as it drifted around a corner.
The driver and front passenger were also pictured with balloons to their mouths in an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) photo released by Thames Valley Police.
CCTV footage showed the car overtaking another at more than 100mph, and police said the vehicle’s electronic stability control had been deliberately turned off.
Johnson claims to not remember what happened, and was asked in a police interview after the crash whether he had ever taken nitrous oxide, reported Sky News.
Footage filmed on a mobile phone inside the car moments before the crash in Marcham, Oxfordshire, showed the group laughing and passing nitrous oxide canisters to the front
The driver Thomas Johnson and front passenger could also seen with balloons to their mouths in an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) photo released by Thames Valley Police
Thomas Johnson, 19, arrives at Oxford Crown Court this morning for the hearing at which he pleaded guilty to causing the death of three teenagers by dangerous driving
Johnson replied: ‘No, not this year. I remember doing it once last year with a group of friends before I could even drive but I don’t have any recollection after that.’
Asked if he remembered its effect, he said: ‘It made my head feel dizzy.’
At Oxford Crown Court today, prosecutor Neil Moore showed the court several short video clips recovered from the phones of those who had been travelling in the car in which a balloon, typically used to inhale the gas, could be seen ‘in the mouth of the defendant’, he said.
Mr Moore said: ‘It’s quite clear on the evidence that the defendant had been taking nitrous oxide from the canister with the assistance of a balloon to inhale it for some considerable time before the collision.’
One canister of nitrous oxide was found in the driver’s footwell and a further eight were found in the boot of the car, the court heard.
The force of the collision ‘ripped the roof off’ the car and all three victims suffered ‘unsurvivable injuries’ and were pronounced dead at the scene, the court heard.
Daniel Hancock (left) and Ethan Goddard (right), both 18, died in the crash on June 20 last year
Elliot Pullen, 17, also died in the car crash on the road in the Oxfordshire village of Marcham
Thomas Johnson was asked in a police interview (pictured) after the crash whether he had ever taken nitrous oxide. He responded: ‘No, not this year. I remember doing it once last year with a group of friends before I could even drive but I don’t have any recollection after that’
A forensic investigation found that, at the time of the crash, the car was travelling at up to 87mph along the stretch of road where the speed limit was 30mph, and no mechanical defects, road or weather conditions contributed to the accident, the prosecution said.
The court heard that data from a location sharing and safety app from Mr Goddard’s phone showed that shortly before Johnson lost control of the vehicle, it was travelling at speeds of more than 100mph.
Mr Moore told the court that effects of the gas include ‘disorientation’ and ‘general impairment’ and an expert who had provided evidence concluded that ‘taking the drug is not compatible with driving a car safely and the concurrent use while driving is very dangerous due to the rapid onset of the affects’.
Johnson, of Shrivenham, spoke to confirm his identity and to enter his guilty plea on all three counts in front of members of the victims’ families. He was later sentenced to nine years and four months in jail.
In a statement after the sentencing, Crown Prosecution Service lawyer Bill Khindey said: ‘Thomas Johnson’s disregard for the safety of others that night was clear.
‘His dangerous driving had devastating consequences – tragically cutting short the lives of three young men.
‘This is a responsibility he must reflect on as he serves his time in prison.
‘We recognise that no sentence can alleviate the pain suffered by the families of Elliot, Ethan and Daniel, and our thoughts remain with them.’
Detective Sergeant Tony Jenkins, of Thames Valley Police’s serious collisions investigative unit, said ‘any impairment while driving is inherently dangerous’.
He added: ‘In this case, the use of nitrous oxide took place over a number of hours and even up to 30 seconds before the crash consumption was taking place.’
A canister containing nitrous oxide which was found at the scene of the crash in June 2023
Flowers tied to a tree next to the road in Marcham, Oxfordshire, where the crash happened
The families of all three teenagers released tributes to them in June 2023 after the crash, with Ethan’s family describing him as a ‘very loving son, protective brother, caring grandson, much-loved nephew, kindest boyfriend and loyal friend’.
They added that he was ‘very passionate about the things he loved’ and was ‘hard-working, enjoyed his part-time job, while studying engineering at college’.
The family of Daniel said at the time that their ‘worst fears were realised so tragically’, adding that they ‘take some solace in the fact that Daniel lived every day to its fullest, surrounded by friends who became family’.
They added: ‘To his friends, he loved you all. Please don’t take risks that you can’t come back from. We loved Daniel beyond words and always will.’
And Elliot’s relatives said he was their ‘gorgeous, bright and talented son, a dearly loved brother, grandson, nephew, and cousin’.
They also said his passions included ‘football, especially Liverpool FC, learning to drive with his Dad, riding motorbikes, eating out, attending live events and spending time with his friends, who were so important to him’.