Teenager who killed friend in lake crash put picture of dead body floating in the water on FACEBOOK

Max Parker lost control of his Peugeot 206 in Burnhill Green, Staffordshire

Court heards his brakes were next to useless and a worn rear tyre was flat

Passenger Ben Henshaw drowned in the accident on August 6 last year

Months later Ben's family found the image - an album cover - on Facebook



Parker sent into custody for 30 months, banned from driving for 5 years

Judge: 'The harm you did cannot be understated, the image is shocking'

A teenager whose defective car crashed in to a lake, drowning his best friend, put a picture of a dead body floating in water on his Facebook page, a judge heard.

Student Max Parker lost control of his Peugeot 206 because his brakes were next to useless and a worn rear tyre was flat.

The car plunged into a hotel lake in Staffordshire and although Parker and his girlfriend Laura Montana survived, rear passenger Ben Henshaw, a 16-year-old schoolboy, drowned.

Max Parker (left) , 19, was driving his girlfriend home with Ben Henshaw (right), 16, in the back seat when he lost control and skidded in to the lake at Patshull, Staffs, last August

Months after the fatal accident, Ben’s family found the 'offensive' picture on Facebook.

Parker, aged 19, of Greenway Avenue, Bridgnorth, Shropshire was sent to youth custody for 30 months and banned from driving for five years after admitting causing death by dangerous driving by reason of a defective car.

Judge Michael Challinor told Parker; 'The harm you have done cannot be understated - the Facebook entry is utterly shocking, demonstrating what some would regard as a callous disregard for the family’s feelings. It is a revolting image which drives me to conclude the remorse you feel isn’t as deep as others have indicated.'

Ben’s mother Trudy, from Alveley, Shropshire said: 'my son was missing in that lake for 17 hours, seeing that image just sickens me.'

Crash site: Ben was missing for 17 hours before his body was pulled from Great Pool in Burnhill Green, Staffordshire

Stafford crown court heard that Parker was taking his girlfriend home with Ben in the back seat when the young driver lost control and skidded in to the lake at Patshull, Staffs. just before midnight on 6 August last year.

Parker dived back in to the water to try to find his pal but couldn’t.

A massive search of the lake was launched but Ben’s body was not found until the following day, said Miss Joanne Barker, prosecuting.

The defects to Parker’s car were so bad that vehicle examiners ruled they were the cause of the crash. Parker told police he knew about them but didn’t have the money to get them fixed.

Miss Nicola Bell, defending, said Parker maintained the Facebook picture was unrelated to the accident - it was an album cover not designed by him. 'He knows my view, it is at the very least grossly offensive and thoughtless. He says he had no cruel intention.'