A 22-year-old man has been sentenced to six years in prison for causing the death of a teenage girl in a high-speed crash. Jack Cracknell, of Ospringe, Faversham, was driving at nearly three times the speed limit when he lost control of his Ford Fiesta on New Dover Road in the early hours of December 3, 2022.
Cracknell was driving four people back from a nightclub when the vehicle reached speeds of approximately 117mph in a 40mph zone. The car then hit a curb, collided with a roundabout, street furniture, and The Old Gate Inn pub and hotel.
Lucy Billingham, 18, a rear passenger in the vehicle, suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Another passenger sustained a serious broken wrist and bruising. Investigations revealed Cracknell had been ferrying people to and from a local nightclub that night. He had offered Ms. Billingham and a friend a lift to a hotel but drove past it, ignoring their pleas to stop, before accelerating on New Dover Road.
A detailed investigation, which included sending a vehicle part to France for analysis, led to Cracknell’s arrest and subsequent charges of causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
He pleaded guilty to both charges at Canterbury Crown Court in November 2024 and was sentenced on Friday, January 31, 2025.
Detective Constable Lee Berridge, Kent Police’s investigating officer, said:
‘I hope this tragic case sends out a message to all motorists that driving recklessly and at high speeds can have catastrophic consequences.
‘Lucy Billingham’s death was completely avoidable, had Cracknell driven sensibly and within the speed limit on the night of this incident.
‘My thoughts and those of my team are with her family and friends, as they continue to remember her and mourn their loss.’