A 15-year-old boy cried as he appeared in court charged with causing the deaths of five people, including three children, when a car ploughed into a tree.



Ellis Thornton-Kimmitt, 12, his brother, Elliott Thornton-Kimmitt, 14, Darnell Harte, 15, Robbie Meerun, 24, and Anthony Armour, also 24, died after the crash involving a Renault Clio in Stonegate Road in Leeds on Saturday night.



The teenager, who cannot be identified, was remanded in custody by a district judge at Leeds youth court after he appeared in the dock wearing a tracksuit, with his left arm in a sling and bruising to his right eye.

The boy stood in the glass-fronted dock with one male and one female security officer. He spoke only to give his name, address and date of birth. A man and a woman, believed to be his parents, sat directly in front of the dock.

After he was remanded in custody by District Judge, Marie Mallon, the boy leaned his head against the glass and cried as he spoke to his parents before he was led away. He pushed his fingers through the gaps in the security barrier for his mother to hold.

During the 20-minute hearing, the district judge refused a request by Stephen Smithson, defending, to allow the teenager bail. She said he would appear again at Leeds crown court on 13 December.

Police have described the crash in the Meanwood area of Leeds as “catastrophic”. They said all those who died were travelling in the Clio, which had been stolen in Leeds earlier that evening. The crash happened just before 10pm.

On Monday, DCI Jim Griffiths told reporters that emergency services had been confronted by “a scene of total carnage” when they arrived.



Relatives of the dead brothers were among a succession of people who have visited the growing shrine of flowers, balloons, candles and messages at the crash scene.















