Evie Wiles, 25, was distracted by her phone when she accelerated through a red light and hit 14-year-old boy scout Christopher Arnett in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire
The parents of a boy scout who was killed by a motorist accelerating through a red light have revealed his death “will haunt us until our dying breaths”.
Evie Wiles, 25, was distracted by her mobile phone when her Seat Leon car struck 14-year-old Christopher Arnett in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, on Thursday, February 2, 2023. The young boy was rushed to hospital but tragically passed away the next day. During the sentencing at Luton Crown Court, Judge Andrew Hatton dismissed Wiles’ claim that the traffic light was amber.
He said: “I’m entirely satisfied that as you approached the traffic lights they changed to red.”
He pointed out that her familiarity with the junction meant she knew stopping at the red light would result in a significant wait before it turned green again.
Judge Hatton noted it was “difficult if not impossible to assess the speed” Wiles was driving at the time of the tragic incident, which occurred at the intersection of London Road and Two Waters Road.
He mentioned that Wiles testified she was driving between 20-30mph as she neared the lights, then accelerated to 30-35mph, reports the Mirror.
The court heard Wiles had been exchanging WhatsApp messages with her partner, whom she was on her way to pick up. In a police interview, she confessed to speeding up to beat the traffic lights as they turned amber.
However, the judge rejected this version of events, firmly stating he was “entirely satisfied” the lights had actually turned red.
Now 25, Wiles denied causing Christopher’s death by dangerous driving, but was found guilty following an earlier trial at the same court.
Wiles, from Lockers Park Lane, Hemel Hempstead, stared straight ahead as she received a sentence of five years and six months on Friday.
Wiles could be out on licence after doing half the time. Additionally, she is banned from driving for five more years and must pass an extended test to regain her licence.
Overcome with emotion, Christopher’s mother Claire Arnett, 52, shed tears as she delivered a heart-wrenching victim impact statement in court, she said: “I mourn the fact I won’t watch him grow into a man, he was one of my best friends.”
Directly confronting Wiles in the courtroom, the devastated teacher declared: “You’ve not once said sorry… you never even called 999.”
Meanwhile, Christopher’s father Lee Arnett shared fond memories of his son’s love for Lego, Star Wars, Dr Who and Explorer Scouts to the court.
Lee, 49, said: “Since that day we’ve been living in a nightmare the pain of losing Christopher is indescribable.”
After conveying his sympathy, Detective Sergeant Ben Heath, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Serious Collision Investigation Unit, added: “No sentence will ever make up for the unimaginable loss they have suffered. We have worked hard to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collision, securing a charge and, ultimately, a prison sentence. I hope this serves as a strong warning to drivers of the devastating consequences that dangerous driving can have.”
In a statement afterwards, Christopher’s parents said: “Losing a child is painful enough, but the brutal way that Christopher was taken from us will haunt us until our dying breaths. His killer destroyed not just his life but all of our lives that day, and we will never forgive her for that and her utter lack of remorse and refusal to accept any wrongdoing.”
They said that Christopher “was just one of those people you knew would do good in the world”. He had been a scout from aged five and was about to start his Duke of Edinburgh award.