An uninsured driver who only had a provisional driving licence and caused the death of his teenage girlfriend after losing control and smashing into a tree has avoided prison.
Rhys McLennan, 20, was behind the wheel of a Nissan Pixo when he lost control of the car and collided with a tree on the B6341 near Edlingham, close to Alnwick, on the night of October 26, 2020. McLennan's girlfriend, 17-year-old Chelsea Gillie, who was the front seat passenger, sustained serious injuries in the crash and was taken to Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI), where she tragically died three days later.
On Thursday, McLennan, of Cheviot Lodge, in Longframlington, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court to be sentenced for causing death by careless driving, causing death by driving while unlicensed, and causing death by driving while uninsured. He pleaded guilty to the offences at a previous hearing.
