Teen driver cleared over deaths

Updated 21.42 Wed Oct 10 2007

Keywords: court, drive, Wales

A teenage driver has been found not guilty of causing the deaths of four young friends by dangerous driving.

However, Craig Ramshaw, 18, was found guilty of an alternative charge of careless driving by a jury at Cardiff Crown Court.

Danielle Caswell and Katie Roberts, both 15, and 16-year-olds Louise Jones and Kayleigh Parry were thrown from the vehicle and died at the scene

Ramshaw, of Brynhelig Villas, Ebbw Vale, South Wales, crashed his Vauxhall Corsa on a mountain road just three days after passing his driving test last November.

Danielle Caswell and Katie Roberts, both 15, and 16-year-olds Louise Jones and Kayleigh Parry, all back seat passengers in the car, were thrown from the vehicle and died at the scene.

Ramshaw and his 17-year-old front seat passenger, who, unlike the girls, had been wearing seatbelts, suffered minor injuries.

Ramshaw denied causing death by dangerous driving during the week-long trial. It took the jury of eight women and four men nearly six hours to reach their decision.

Members of the girls' families left the court in tears as the jury foreman read the verdicts.

Ramshaw sat in the dock with his head bowed and broke down sobbing. He will be sentenced on Wednesday afternoon.

Judge Nicholas Cooke QC said he will not be given a custodial sentence.