Drunk Learner Driver Lewis Foster Crushed Mother to Death under Car

A teenage learner driver has been jailed for killing his mother after reversing into her while drunk.

Lewis Foster, 19, crushed his mother Deborah Jones to death just minutes after she begged him not to drink and drive at their family home in St Austell in Cornwall.

At Truro Crown Court, the judge sentenced Foster to 12 months in a youth offenders' institution and banned him from driving for four years.

Foster, who was 18 when the incident took place in July, wept during court proceedings. He had pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.

Judge David Ticehurst said his actions had been reckless.

He said: "The words tragic and tragedy are often misused these days but there is no escape of the fact that this is a tragic case with a tragic result for everyone involved.

"You, Lewis Foster, will carry the burden that you killed your mother by your careless driving for the rest of your life.

"Nothing that I say or do could add to the sense of guilt that you feel and that you will always feel.

"You were only 18 at the time the offence was committed, I take into account that it was a momentary lapse. Whether your foot slipped off the clutch does not matter a great deal.

"It was not a prolonged period of driving but it was reckless, completely thoughtless, without any regard to what may happen.

"Had you spent a moment or two thinking about the situation, had you not been so drunk, had you not been in a temper, you would not be here."

Twice legal limit

Foster had been out drinking with his boss. He had a provisional licence and no insurance when he decided to go for a drive in his Vauxhall Corsa.

Jones, 47, begged her son not to take the car out saying he would ruin everything if he got caught. She was standing behind the car when Foster revved the engine.

His foot then slipped on the clutch and the car shot backwards, crushing his mother, the court heard.

Despite attempts to rescue Jones, she died from her injuries in hospital the following day.

Foster was arrested and a breath test showed he was almost twice the legal limit of 35mg.