Girl, 13, unlawfully killed by her drink-drive dad

Image source, Kieley Messham

Image caption, Lacie Roberts was a passenger in the car when her dad veered off the road while drink-driving
  • Author, George Herd
  • Role, 91热爆 News

A 13-year-old girl was unlawfully killed by her drink-driving father, a coroner has ruled.

Lacie Roberts suffered fatal injuries when the BMW being driven by John Daniel Roberts careered off a Flintshire road and hit a building.

Mr Roberts, 34, from Flint, also died in the crash, and three others were seriously hurt.

A inquest in Ruthin, Denbighshire, heard Lacie's father was also banned from driving at the time, and would have failed a cocaine drugs test.

The hearing was told that Lacie was a rear passenger in the car when it spun out of control on a 40mph (70km/h) section of the A458 at Bagillt on 22 April, 2022.

An earlier inquest into Mr Roberts' death heard in a statement from his partner Jennifer Vale that she had seen him drink two gin drinks before they set off.

She said "he didn't appear drunk" and told her he was fine to drive.

However, tests showed he was over the drink-drive limit for alcohol at the time of the crash.

Toxicology reports also found levels of cocaine in his blood that would have failed the drug-driving test.

Ms Vale estimated Mr Roberts was driving at about 100mph (160km/h) at the time of the crash.

In her statement to the inquest on Wednesday, she said she had told him: "Don't be driving like an idiot. He liked driving fast. In the past I have had to tell him to slow, which he has."

Just before the tragedy she recalled: "I shouted 'that's enough'. I felt the car drift to the side."

She also said she was unaware that Mr Roberts had been disqualified from driving at the time.

Image caption, Banned driver Daniel Roberts drove at 100mph at times before the fatal crash on this road in Flintshire

However, another passenger, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said Mr Roberts was "hammered" and always drove fast.

Grace Gwynne, representing Lacie's family, said Mr Roberts was responsible for a "catalogue of errors" that led to her death.

"The driver owed Lacie a duty of care as a father and as a passenger," said Ms Gwynne.

Returning a conclusion of unlawful killing, the coroner for North Wales East and Central John Gittins said the car carrying Lacie had been driven "significantly in excess of the speed limit" by a disqualified driver who was over the limit, for both alcohol and drugs.

He told her family: "I can鈥檛 give closure, I can鈥檛 make things better."

He added that she was a "beautiful" youngster.

Lacie's mother Kieley Messham said: "My heart will be broken for the rest of my life.

"She would have made the most absolutely beautiful mum."