'No sentence will ever bring back these two young men' - Driver jailed for killing Yaxley 'best friends' after cocaine binge

Richard Frost (39) of Dorset Avenue, Chelmsford, was driving his BMW X5 dangerously and at high speed when it left the road, mounted a grass verge and killed Thomas Fletcher (19) and Thomas Northam (22) at about 11am on January 3 last year.

The pair had been walking along the B1091 out of Yaxley towards Farcet, facing traffic, when they were hit from behind by Frost’s vehicle which had crossed onto the wrong side of the road.

Cambridge Crown Court heard in the hours leading up to the collision Frost was seen and recorded driving at speeds over 100mph, overtaking cars into oncoming traffic and undertaking using footpaths and pedestrian walkways.

At 9.39am, an average speed camera on the A16 near Crowland recorded the BMW as averaging 117mph over 1.3 miles.

Following the crash, Frost continued driving along the grass verge for 80 metres, before returning to the carriageway and leaving the road into a field on the opposite side.

He then fled the scene with a suitcase containing £72,000 in cash, which he dumped in a residential garden and was later recovered by a police officer.

He was pursued by a member of the public who realised he was fleeing the scene of a collision. The man followed Frost into a property in Broadway but was punched as the latter fled back out into the street.

Frost was arrested at 10.45pm that night after being found asleep at his mother’s house in Chelmsford.

Frost was jailed today (Monday, March 26) after admitting two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, two counts of common assault and one of money laundering at a hearing last month.

He was sentenced to 16 months for money laundering and six months for assault, to run concurrently to each other.

He was given 10 years and nine months for the dangerous driving offences, plus three years and three months for being a dangerous offender, all to run consecutively. The 15 years and four months total was reduced by 20 percent to 12 years and one month for Frost’s previous guilty pleas.

He will only be eligible for parole after serving two-thirds of the 10 year sentence.

He has also been disqualified from driving for five years, plus an extension period of five years and seven months, making the total driving ban 11 years and seven months. He will be required to take an extended test before being allowed back on the roads and has also been made subject of a restraining order against the assault victim.

PC James Thorne, who investigated, said: “This was the worst piece of driving I have ever, and probably will ever, see. Frost drove his X5 in a manner which was beyond dangerous and placed an untold amount of people at risk of serious injury. The offence was only exacerbated by his drug taking for 18 hours prior to the collision.

“Frost robbed a vast number of family and friends of two young men who were going about their own, lawful business. The sentence passed today does not, nor does it intend to, reflect the value that society places on life.

“Sadly, no sentence will ever bring back these two young men but I hope this result today will give their families and friends some comfort to know that justice has been done.”

Judge Farrell, sentencing, confirmed a further proceeds of crime hearing will take place on June 8 to discuss what happens to the money Frost was in possession of at the time of the collision.