As she lay dying, her coward boyfriend committed ‘inhuman’ acts
A banned driver caused the death of his partner when he crashed while racing dangerously at "motorway speeds" on a wet residential street, a court has heard. As Demi Mabbitt lay unconscious and critically injured at the roadside, it was heard that Cameron Jones callously used her phone to call the police and falsely claimed she had been the one driving. He then collected his bag from the smashed car and ran away.
Merthyr Crown Court heard Jones had only been out of prison for 30 days at the time of the crash and was at the wheel of a powerful car with two virtually bald tyres and windows so heavily tinted they were dangerous. Sending the 30-year-old to prison, the judge labelled Jones's act of fleeing the accident scene and abandoning his gravely injured partner alone in the rain as "inhuman" and one of "total cowardice", WalesOnline[2] reports. Abigail Jackson, prosecuting, said the collision happened at around 11.45pm on April 5 this year in Swansea Road, Merthyr.
She stated that another driver witnessed Jones at the wheel of a powerful Audi S3 car accelerate away from the Trago Mills roundabout at speeds estimated to be around 70mph. She said the witness reported the conditions were "soaking wet" with so much spray being thrown up from the road he had to use his windscreen wipers. The barrister said the witness commented to his passenger about the driver of the speeding Audi: "He is going to kill himself".
The court heard the witness continued westward along Swansea Road in the wake of the Audi, which he by now estimated to be travelling at between 110mph and 120mph as it disappeared out of sight. When next seen by the witness, the Audi was skewed at a 90-degree angle across the road, surrounded by scattered debris that looked like "it looked like a bomb had gone off". The prosecutor noted that the witness stopped and got out of his car, and he saw Jones climbing out of the rear driver's side door of the Audi.
Jones then approached the witness and asked for a lift. Concerned at what was going on the witness refused the request and returned to his vehicle, unaware that Jones' passenger lay gravely ill nearby.
Cameron Jones (Image: South Wales Police Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil and Bridgend (Facebook))
The court heard Jones approached the unconscious Miss Mabbitt, lying some 27 metres away from the crash scene, and used her mobile phone to ring the emergency services, telling them: "My missus has just crashed her car". Another set of drivers and nearby residents initially responded to the noise and visuals of the crash.
The prosecutor said Jones was seen "rummaging around" in the wreckage with a torch, speaking about "finding the guy who was driving" before running away. It was said in court that the force of the impact the engine block of the Audi was detached from the vehicle chassis, the steering rack was sheered off, a front wheel and housing were sheered off, and boundary walls at the side of the road were partially demolished with a set of garden gates ripped off and "projected" into a garden. Car parts were scattered more than 20 metres around the crash scene, and a piece of the Audi was subsequently recovered from the roof of a nearby bungalow.
The court heard first aid was performed on 25-year-old Miss Mabbitt at the scene until paramedics arrived and took over. She was then rushed to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff where subsequent CT scans showed she had suffered traumatic brain injuries. Miss Mabbitt underwent emergency surgery to try to reduce the pressure on her brain but despite "extensive medical intervention" her condition continued to deteriorate and she died at 11.20am on April 12.
Demi Leigh Mabbitt (Image: Facebook)
Meanwhile, Jones was on the run from police, and the court heard that despite daily arrest inquires being made with known associates he could not be found.
Police launched a major media campaign asking for help to find the suspect, and he eventually handed himself in on April 28. The court heard both the crash scene and the recovered Audi were examined by forensic collision experts and it was concluded the vehicle had collided with a garden wall and violently rotated clockwise. An examination of the two rear tyres of the all-wheel drive car found just 0.30mm and 0.18mm of tread on them - the legal limit is 1.6mm.
It was also found that the side windows of the car were so heavily tinted that they were classed as "dangerous" as they only allowed 30% of the light to pass through - the legal requirement is 70%. The crash experts said that, while it was not possible to put a precise figure on the speed the S3 was travelling at at the time of the collision, based on the level of damage and the size of the debris field it would have been speeds "more consistent with motorway speeds". The court heard the speed limit on the stretch of road in question was 20mph.
The crash investigators concluded that the rear tyres would have provided practically no grip given the speed the car was being driven at and the wet road conditions, and that the car began to aquaplane and Jones had lost control. For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter here.
Statement from Demi Mabbitt's family
"Today has been another difficult day in the journey of our devastating loss. No sentence will ever be enough to bring justice for the death of our beautiful girl Demi.
"Demi was only 25 years old, she had her whole life ahead of her. She was the kindest, most selfless person you could meet. She had the biggest heart, the most beautiful smile and a laugh more infectious than any.
"Demi was her Mams best friend, Dad's two eyes. Younger sister to Gemma Ben and Jordan. Older sister to Callie and Keisha but the boss of them all.
Her niece and nephews were spoilt rotten and were her world. Nothing was ever to much trouble for her. Our family is broken.
"We would like to thank South Wales Police for their efforts and support throughout. We would especially like to thank our family liaison officer PC Saunders who has supported our family with the upmost respect and compassion at the most difficult time of our lives. We love you Dems, forever and always."
'Total cowardice'
Cameron Jones, of Heol Bryn y Gwyddwl, Merthyr, had previously pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, causing death while driving while disqualified, and causing death while driving without insurance, and also to the so-called "schedule 51" offences of failing to stop after an accident and failing to report an accident, when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has 27 previous convictions for 55 offences including burglary, drug dealing, conspiracy to convey contraband into prison, driving without due care and attention, driving without insurance or a licence, and two dangerous drivings.
In 2018 he was sentenced to 45 months in prison for possession of cocaine with intent to supply and was released in January, 2021, only to be recalled following his arrest in connection with offences of violence. He served the remainder of his 2018 sentence and was released from custody on March 6, just 30 days before the high-speed crash. Andrew Davies, for Jones, said the defendant accepted his driving was the sole cause of the accident and he took responsibility for his action.
He said his client realised he had caused the family of Miss Mabbitt "incurable pain and distress" and that nothing he could say could ever take that away. Judge Jeremy Jenkins said whether to "show off or to impress" his girlfriend beside him the defendant had driven at high speeds on wet roads and caused a crash which took the life of Miss Mabbitt and "devastated" her family. He said in making the 999 call from his partner's phone and then running away the defendant had shown "total cowardice", and he described his actions as "inhuman".
The judge said he had read a letter from the defendant in which he described Miss Mabbit as the "love of his life" but he said he found that assertion "disingenuous and untrue" and self-serving. He said Jones had thought only of himself and shown no real remorse or contrition, and he said he had no doubt the defendant had entered guilty pleas only to "gain advantage" via the discount in sentence that was due. With a one-third discount for his guilty pleas Jones was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
He will serve up to half that sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. He was banned from driving for a total of 10 years and must pass an extended test before he can get a licence. Speaking after the sentencing, South Wales Police serious collision investigation officer detective sergeant Hobrough said: "Demi Mabbitt lay dying on the side of the road when Jones callously fled from the scene of the crash without trying to help her.
The tragic manner of Demi's death has shaken the whole community. Cameron Jones' actions on April 5 were appalling and his attempts to escape justice ultimately failed. Today's sentence will mean that Jones is behind bars and unable to cause further harm."
Jordan Jones from the Crown Prosecution Service said Jones' actions led to a tragic loss of life, and "his attempts to evade responsibility only compounded the grief of Demi Mabbit's loved ones".
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