A man who was more than two and a half times over the drink-driving limit when he ran over three teenage boys as they walked to a party has been jailed for 13 years.

Jaynesh Chudasama, 28, of Hayes in west London, had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of causing death by dangerous driving.

The car-hire worker, who also had traces of cannabis in his system, ploughed into Harry Rice, 17, a semi-professional footballer, George Wilkinson, 16, an apprentice electrician, and Josh McGuinness, 16, a labourer on 26 January.



The Old Bailey heard the defendant was driving at 71mph on a 60mph road in west London when the incident occurred.

Families and friends of the boys expressed their anger and grief as they sat in the packed courtroom for his sentencing. They called the defendant a “coward” for running away and leaving the boys to die.

Josh’s mother, Tracy Blackwell, told Chudasama: “You are going to rot in hell.”

Sentencing, Judge Wendy Joseph QC, said: “It is obvious that nothing any court can do can measure the loss of Josh, Harry and George for the obvious reason that their loss is immeasurable.”



She jailed the defendant for 13 years and disqualified him from driving for 13 years and six months.



A crowd of protesters, calling for stiffer sentences for dangerous drivers, were outside the court when the sentencing took place.

Harry’s brother, Matthew, said: “I’m protesting because my brother was ruthlessly taken away with his two friends by a callous driver who got in a car knowing he was going to drive the vehicle under the influence. He should not see the light of day, end of story.”

The maximum punishment for causing death by dangerous driving is 14 years in prison, but the court heard that parliament was considering proposals for life sentences for the most serious cases.

The defendant was described by another motorist as “driving like a bat out of hell”. After his car ploughed into the boys, Chudasama and the passenger fled the vehicle but were chased by two boys who dragged the driver back to the scene.

In mitigation, Leila Gaskin said her client would be “racked by guilt and remorse” for the rest of his life. She suggested peer pressure on a night out with friends may have influenced his decision to drink and drive.



But the judge said the defendant was not remorseful, pointing to the fact that he ran from the scene. She added that Chudasama had failed to explain himself to police when he was arrested.

The judge said the loss of the three boys, who had “different, exciting and admirable plans for the future”, had caused pain, anger and despair.



The school friends’ families described “every parent’s worst nightmare” in tearful statements in court. George’s mother, Sarah Baker, said: “That awful night my son was taken from me will stay with me and haunt me for the rest of my life.”