A court has heard how a banned driver caused the death of his partner when he crashed while racing dangerously at “motorway speeds” on a wet residential road.
As Demi Mabbitt lay unconscious and seriously injured on the side of the road, Cameron Jones was heard recklessly using her phone to call police, falsely claiming she was the one driving. He then grabbed his bag from the wrecked car and ran away.
Merthyr Crown Court heard that Jones had been out of prison for just 30 days at the time of the crash and was behind the wheel of a powerful car with two virtually bald tyres and windows so dark as to be dangerous.
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The judge sentenced the 30-year-old to prison, calling Jones’s actions in fleeing the scene of the accident and leaving his seriously injured partner alone in the rain “inhuman” and an act of “utter cowardice”. WalesOnline defeated.
Abigail Jackson, prosecuting, said the collision happened at around 11.45pm on April 5 this year in Swansea Road, Merthyr. She said another driver saw Jones behind the wheel of a powerful Audi S3 accelerating from the Trago Mills roundabout at a speed estimated at around 70mph.
She said the witness reported that conditions were “soggy” with so much road spray that he had to use his windscreen wipers. The lawyer said the witness said to his passenger about the driver of the Audi who was speeding: “He’s going to kill himself.”
The court heard the witness was travelling west along Swansea Road, following the Audi, which he estimated was travelling at between 110mph and 120mph as it disappeared from view.
When the witness next saw the Audi, it was lying at a 90-degree angle across the road, surrounded by scattered debris that looked as if a bomb had exploded.
The prosecutor noted that the witness stopped and got out of his car, and he saw Jones climb out of the back door of the Audi. Jones then walked up to the witness and asked for a ride. Concerned about what was going on, the witness declined the request and returned to his vehicle, unaware that Jones’ passenger was lying seriously ill nearby.
The court heard Jones approached the unconscious Miss Mabbitt, who was about 30 yards (27 metres) from the scene of the crash, and used her mobile phone to call emergency services, telling them: “My wife has just crashed her car”. Another group of drivers and residents initially responded to the noise and images of the crash.
According to the prosecutor, Jones was seen “rummaging around” in the wreckage with a flashlight. He said he “found the driver” and then ran away.
The court was told that the force of the impact caused the Audi’s engine block to become detached from the vehicle’s chassis, the steering gear to be ripped off, a front wheel and housing to be torn off and the boundary walls at the side of the road to be partially demolished, with a set of garden fences torn off and “projected” into a garden. Car parts were scattered over more than 20 metres around the crash site and a piece of the Audi was subsequently recovered from the roof of a nearby bungalow.
The court heard that first aid was administered to 25-year-old Miss Mabbitt at the scene until emergency services arrived and took over. She was then rushed to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, where subsequent CT scans revealed she had suffered a traumatic brain injury. Miss Mabbitt underwent emergency surgery to relieve the pressure on her brain, but despite “extensive medical intervention” her condition continued to deteriorate and she died at 11.20am on April 12.
Meanwhile, Jones was on the run from police and the court heard that despite daily arrests of known associates, he could not be found. Police launched a major media campaign asking for help in finding the suspect and he eventually handed himself in on April 28.
The court heard that both the crash scene and the recovered Audi had been examined by forensic collision experts and it was concluded that the vehicle had crashed into a garden wall and spun violently clockwise. An examination of the four-wheel drive car’s two rear tyres found just 0.30mm and 0.18mm of tread remaining – the legal limit is 1.6mm. It was also found that the car’s side windows were so heavily tinted they were classed as “dangerous” as they only let in 30% of light – the legal requirement is 70%.
Crash experts said it was not possible to give a precise estimate of the speed the S3 was travelling at the time of impact, but that based on the extent of the damage and the size of the debris field, it would have been speeds “more consistent with motorway speeds”. The court heard that the speed limit on the stretch of road in question was 20mph. Crash investigators concluded that the rear tyres would have provided virtually no grip given the speed the car was travelling at and the wet road conditions, and that the car began to aquaplane and Jones lost control. Sign up to our crime newsletter here for the latest court coverage.
Statement from the family of Demi Mabbitt
“Today was another difficult day in the journey of our devastating loss. No punishment will ever be enough to bring justice for the death of our beautiful girl Demi.
“Demi was only 25 years old, she had her whole life ahead of her. She was the kindest, most selfless person you could meet. She had the biggest heart, the most beautiful smile and a laugh that was more infectious than any other.
“Demi was her mother’s best friend, her father’s two eyes. Younger sister to Gemma Ben and Jordan. Older sister to Callie and Keisha, but the boss of them all. Her nieces and nephews were spoiled rotten and her world. Nothing was ever too much trouble for her. Our family is broken.
“We would like to thank South Wales Police for their commitment and support throughout this period. We would particularly like to thank our family liaison officer PC Saunders who has supported our family with the utmost respect and compassion at the most difficult time of our lives. We love you, the Democrats, forever and ever.”
‘Total cowardice’
Cameron Jones, of Heol Bryn y Gwyddwl, Merthyr, had previously pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, causing death while driving without a licence and causing death while driving without insurance. He had also pleaded guilty to schedule 51 offences of failing to comply with the offence and failing to report an accident.
He has 27 previous convictions for 55 offences, including burglary, drug trafficking, conspiracy to introduce contraband into prison, driving without due care and attention, driving without insurance or a licence, and two dangerous driving offences. In 2018, he was sentenced to 45 months in prison for possession of cocaine with intent to supply and was released in January 2021, only to be recalled following his arrest in connection with violent offences. He served the remainder of his 2018 sentence and was released from custody on March 6, just 30 days before the high-speed crash.
Andrew Davies, for Jones, said the defendant accepted his driving was the sole cause of the accident and that he took responsibility for his actions. He said his client realised he had caused Miss Mabbitt’s family “incurable pain and suffering” and that nothing he could say would ever take that away.
Judge Jeremy Jenkins said the defendant, in order to “show off or impress” his girlfriend next door, had driven at high speed on wet roads, causing a crash which claimed the life of Miss Mabbitt and “devastated” her family. He said the defendant had shown “total cowardice” by making the 999 call from his partner’s phone and then running away and described his actions as “inhuman”.
The judge said he had read a letter from the defendant in which he described Miss Mabbit as the “love of his life”, but said he found the statement “disingenuous and untrue” and self-serving. He said Jones had only thought of himself and had shown no real remorse or remorse, and said he had no doubt the defendant had pleaded guilty only to “gain an advantage” from the reduced sentence due.
With a one-third discount for his guilty plea, Jones was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He will serve half of that sentence in custody before being released with a driver’s license to serve the remainder in the community. He was banned from driving for a total of 10 years and must pass an extended test before he can get a driver’s license.
After the sentencing, Detective Inspector Hobrough, a serious collision detective with South Wales Police, said: “Demi Mabbitt was left dying by the side of the road when Jones recklessly fled the scene of the crash without attempting to help her. The tragic manner in which Demi died has shocked the whole community. Cameron Jones’ actions on April 5 were appalling and his attempts to evade justice ultimately failed. Today’s sentence means Jones is behind bars and can no longer cause harm.”
Jordan Jones of the District Attorney’s Office said Jones’ actions resulted in a tragic loss of life and that “his attempts to avoid responsibility only compounded the grief of Demi Mabbit’s loved ones.”
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