Man jailed for causing death of Leonie Jones in Crawley

Leonie Jones,18, became trapped underneath the car after she was ejected from a faulty passenger door as Mark Coleman reversed and turned at speed in the car park outside Dormans Youth Arts Centre, Crawley.

Leonie, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was thrown from the car as Coleman did a manoeuvre described as a J-turn.

Expert reports showed that Coleman’s car, a red Vauxhall Corsa, had a defect passenger side door which was not properly secure.

Coleman, now aged 23, was also over the legal alcohol limit during the incident on April 25, 2022.

Lewes Crown Court heard Coleman had been warned by police months before about his driving after he was seen showing off in a Tesco car park.

Leonie’s mum Carmel Richards said her daughter had died in “horrendous circumstances” and said her loss has been crippling.

“Leonie was caring, funny, and clever, a talented make-up artist, a great singer and dancer, a dedicated friend, and a strongly principled young woman who knew right from wrong,” Ms Richards said.

At Lewes Crown Court today, Coleman, formerly of Forestfield, Crawley, admitted causing death by dangerous driving.

Coleman showed no emotion in the dock.

Mark Coleman has been jailed (Image: Sussex Police)

He was sentenced to six years in prison and was disqualified from driving for seven years.

James Caldwell, prosecuting, told the court Coleman rang 999 from the car park at 2.32am saying Leonie was trapped under his car.

"He confirmed she was still breathing," said Mr Caldwell.

"He said she had ended up under the car.

"Coleman told the operator: 'People just messing about drifting, whatever else and she was just in the way of the car'."

The court heard after four minutes on the call, Coleman said Leonie had stopped making noises and he could not find a pulse.

When emergency services arrived they found Leonie under the car.

Firefighters lifted the car and despite the best efforts of paramedics, the teenager was pronounced dead at the scene.

The court heard Coleman told police Leonie had got back into the car after they stopped at the car park and it "slipped his mind" to close the door properly.

Her injuries were consistent with being hit by a car and the ground with some dragging, the court heard.

Pathologist Dr Ashley Fegan Earl gave Leonie's cause of death as shock, haemorrhage and compressive force to the torso.

Forensic Collision Investigation reports showed markings in the car park which showed at the very least a sharp move by Coleman had been attempted.

His passenger side door required a large amount of force from outside for it to be secured and was not easy to close and keep closed by passengers inside the car.

A report concluded: “It was Coleman’s action, along with the condition of his vehicle, that have led to the tragic death of Miss Leonie Jones.”

Read more: 'Infectious laugh and beaming smile' - mum's tribute to teen killed in fatal crash

After being arrested, Coleman tested positive for 51 microgrammes (uhg) of alcohol per 100 millilitres (ml) of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes (uhg) of alcohol per 100ml of breath.

He had been to the pub earlier in the night before driving.

In a victim impact statement, Ms Richards said: “Leonie is gone, and I am broken hearted. She was my precious little girl, our eldest child. The feeling of loss is so great, it is crippling.

“With this sorrow comes waves of panic at not being able to see her again.

“Leonie died in horrendous circumstances. I am tormented by the thought of what she endured.”

Ms Richards added that she can only hope that Coleman takes responsibility and learns the consequences of his actions.

Police at the scene (Image: Sussex News and Pictures)

 Judge Jeremy Gold KC told Coleman he had robbed the family of a very special young woman.

Detective Sergeant Ian Foxton said: “This case demonstrates the devastating impact of Coleman’s actions.

“His vehicle was in a dangerous condition which was revealed when he attempted the sharp reverse turn in the car park, causing Leonie to be ejected from the vehicle and under the car.

“He was over the legal alcohol limit, so he should not have been behind the wheel in the first place.

“We know that drink driving is one of the main reasons why people are killed or seriously injured on our roads.

“Dangerous driving such as Coleman’s attempted turn and the insecure passenger door are also factors that can have devastating consequences.

“It should be a lesson to all drivers, especially young drivers, about the ‘fatal five’ driving behaviours and the risks these pose to themselves, their passengers and to other road users.

“We were determined to get justice for Leonie’s family, and we will continue to work to catch offenders to prevent these tragic collisions causing more heartache in future.”