Horror of killer drink and drug driver's journey which killed man revealed

Kathryn Watkins (35) had been sitting in the rear passenger seat when she took crack cocaine and drank gin before getting behind the wheel of the Vauxhall Astra on the evening of May 25 when the crash happened in Peterborough, killing 44 year old Alex Edney.

Andrew Jackson, prosecuting, told Peterborough Crown Court today: "During the afternoon of Monday 25th May, Mr Edney received a phone call from the defendant. She wanted him to drive to Hastings to pick up her and her friend and drive them to Peterborough. She said that her mother was ill and that she wanted to see her. Mr Edney's friend did not believe that story.

"Mr Edney's friend had known the defendant for about 5 years through drug taking in Peterborough. He did not know her friend. Mr Edney however knew both women. He told his friend that the defendant was in the habit of ringing him and asking him to lend money to her. In fact during the weekend, according to Mr Edney's friend, Alex received a call from the defendant which he put on loudspeaker. Mr Edney was asked for £20 which he sent to her account by bank transfer.

"Mr Edney agreed to drive to Hastings to collect the defendant and drive her from there to Peterborough. In total it was to be a journey of some 237 miles. He set off with his friend on the evening of Monday 25th May and they arrived in Hastings after dark where they met the defendant and her friend who were outside a house.

"The defendant and her friend put suitcases into the boot of Mr Edney’s car and both women got into the rear seats. Mr Edney was driving and his friend was the front seat passenger. Before leaving Hastings the defendant took heroin.

"Soon after the journey began the defendant, who was in the back seat with her friend, began taking crack cocaine. As well as taking drugs the defendant was drinking gin from a bottle which she had brought with her.

"As the journey north progressed, the defendant was face-timing a man on her phone. She was taking photographs of her private parts which she was sharing with the man and indulging in a sexualised conversation with him.

"During this face time call the defendant was pestering Mr Edney to let her drive saying that she would get them to Peterborough quicker. The man to whom she was talking was also telling Mr Edney to let the defendant drive."

Mr Jackson said Mr Edney gave in to the defendant’s demands to let her drive and pulled into services onto the M25.

He said: "The journey then continued with the defendant driving, his friend the front seat passenger and Mr Edney and the friend in the rear. His friend described the defendant’s driving as ‘atrocious’. He described her driving at speeds of up to 100 mph and using her mobile phone to make calls, evidence supported by the call data. At one point, he describes how the car veered off the carriageway and onto the left hand verge.

"He then recounts that as the defendant was approaching the M11, she was behind a two-seater Mercedes with her lights on full beam. The Mercedes had to slow at one point which caused the defendant to brake hard and she narrowly avoided rear-ending the Mercedes. As a result, the driver of the Mercedes was forced to pull onto the hard shoulder to let the defendant past. As the front seat passenger the friend was able to assess the dangerousness of the defendant’s driving and the great danger in which it was placing the occupants of the car as well as other motorists.

"Shortly after that incident, and a little further on, Mr Edney managed to persuade her to pull over and stop the car. She did so and Mr Edney got back into the driver’s seat. The defendant resumed her place in the rear seat with the friend. Mr Edney's friend remained in the front passenger seat."

After a while, the defendant then began pestering to drive again. the friend describes the defendant as almost standing on the back seat area shouting at and abusing both Mr Edney and his friend. She told them that if they didn’t get her to Peterborough quickly her brother would give them a kicking.

"His friend told her to calm down. From behind, the defendant then began punching the man’s head and digging her nails into his neck drawing blood. He describes how that assault persisted for about ten minutes with him having to continually try to block her punches and at one point having to grab both her wrists in a bid to stop her."

As a result of the assault, he sustained a bruised and swollen right eye, cuts and grazes to his forehead, cheek and around his right eye and cuts to his neck.

He asked Mr Edney to pull over and he did so at a Shell filling station. That has been identified as Fenstanton Services on the A1307 or ‘Old A14’ as it is known. The defendant then pushed him out of the car. Angrily, the defendant then shouted to Mr Edney ‘Just drive, just drive’. Mr Edney looked scared and did as he was told, driving away with the defendant, who was now in the front passenger seat and Watkins' who was still in the rear.

At 1.23am the man received a text from Mr Edney asking him for help as Watkins was once again in the driving seat. Cell site analysis tracked Mr Edney’s phone onto the A1M near Sawtry.

Two minutes later the man called police and officers found him by the side of the road on the A1307.

Less than 20 minutes later, at 1.42am, police were called to reports of a head-on collision between a Vauxhall Astra and a Mercedes Sprinter van. The witness also told officers that two women had fled the scene on foot leaving a man in the back of the car behind, who was struggling to breathe.

Watkins and her friend called a taxi five minutes later and were taken to Peterborough. The driver described Watkins as being “very angry and swearing”.

Officers and paramedics arrived at the location of the crash at an industrial estate on Southgate Way, Peterborough, and Mr Edney, 44, of Romsey Close, Aldershot, Hampshire, was declared dead at the scene.

In a statement released at the time his family said: “Alex was a loving son, grandson, dad and brother. He was a good friend to many, always willing to help others and he will be sorely missed by all who knew him.”

At 2.40am, police received a call from the ambulance service requesting help at a house in Fellows Gardens, Peterborough.

Police attended and found Watkins with a suspected broken wrist and her friend with suspected broken ribs. Both were taken to hospital as a precaution and later arrested in relation to the fatal collision.

Watkins suffered severe bruising to her ankle, left forearm, chest and thigh. Her friend was left with a broken arm.

Speaking to police after the crash, Watkins' friend said; "Kat was dancing in the car is the best way I can describe it. She was screaming and the car was swerving all over the place. I began to be very scared. I knew we were going to crash, luckily the roads were clear…Alex just sat in the back dead quiet. I just kept shouting at her to slow down and stop. She

just kept saying “Don’t worry I’m a good driver.”

When remanded in custody Watkins had a blood test which revealed she was over the legal alcohol limit to drive.

The blood test also showed that the levels of Benzoylecgonine, a cocaine breakdown product, were approximately 800 microgrammes per 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 50 microgrammes.

Watkins pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious Injury by dangerous driving and common assault at Peterborough Crown Court today (29 October).

She was sentenced on the same day, where Judge Sean Enright handed her 10 years in prison. She was also disqualified from driving for 12 years.

Sergeant Mark Dollard, of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “Watkins was on an inevitable path of destruction that night and a serious collision was inevitable.

“Her driving was truly atrocious; she knew she had consumed alcohol and drugs but selfishly gave no regard for the safety of others.

“Watkins’ actions after the collision were even more horrendous. She gave no care as to the extent of Mr Edney’s injuries, showing more concern for her belongings than that of another human being who was supposed to be her friend.

“She then fled the scene prior to police arrival, without ever checking on Mr Edney who lay dying in the back of the car.

“It was only through hard work that the police were able to find Watkins and build a case that left her with no option but to plead guilty today.

“Drink and drug driving is illegal, dangerous and risks lives - this case is yet another reminder of that.

“People can help us make the roads of Cambridgeshire safer for everyone by confidentially reporting others they suspect of driving while under the influence.”

The force operates a dedicated, confidential hotline for members of the public to report drink or drug driving.

The hotline: 0800 032 0845 is available 24/7, and gives people the chance to supply the police with information to help reduce the number of drink or drug drivers on the county’s roads.