But Cameron Kitch denies sending the messages himself and claims he was dictating his responses to the passenger, Callum Geary, who, in turn, read the incoming messages to him. Durham Crown Court heard that Kitch was driving at an average of 80mph on a 40-limit stretch of the A68 before the collision with a DAF lorry, at Hummerback, near West Auckland, on Friday August 14, 2020. The court heard that the last of the messages was received around 28 seconds before the crash, which sent the Vauxhall Astra flying into a wall and into fencing just before 9pm that night. Paul Rooney, prosecuting, said that as a result Mr Geary received “significant” injuries which proved fatal. The 22-year-old was confirmed dead nine days later in hospital. Read more: Driver claims he was ordering passenger to send text messages at time of fatal crash A witness who went to help the accused at the scene of the crash said one of his first actions afterwards was to reach behind his seat for his phone. Rooney said Keats texted one of the girlfriends saying: “I broke the car”, followed by “too bad”. The defendant, now 22 but then 20, of Oakley Green, West Auckland, initially pleaded not guilty to causing death by dangerous driving at his hearing in February. But just over a month before his scheduled trial, he changed his plea to guilty. The case was adjourned but ahead of sentencing today (July 29) a trial was held on whether or not the defendant was the one who sent and received the messages immediately before the collision. He claimed he dictated these messages to be typed into his phone by Mr Geary. By his own admission, the texting would have distracted him, even if he hadn’t sent it himself, and he accepted that he was traveling too fast for the road at the time. Judge James Adkin said that on the balance of probabilities he believed Keats was responsible for sending and receiving those messages, but he could not be sure to the standard required in a criminal court. “He was trying to juggle two women at the same time, trying to keep them apart, which must have been a distraction. “But I cannot convict on the basis that the defendant sent the messages half a minute before the accident.” Read more: Man accused of causing fatal crash on A68 in West Auckland The court heard a victim impact statement from Mr Geary’s parents, who said he was one of three male triplets and “had a heart of gold”, ready to do anything for anyone. Michael Davies, for Kitch, said he had no previous convictions. “On his own account, he is responsible for this offence. “The effect on him is that he no longer wants to drive. “It is clear from the author of the petition of this sentence (probation) that he has a lot of remorse for this. “He keeps reliving those moments and knows they keep coming back to him. “He deeply regrets what happened. He feels very ashamed. “He feels horrible about the damage he’s done.” Judge Adkin imposed a total sentence of 62 months – five years and two months – of which the defendant must serve up to half before being released on licence. The judge also banned Kitch from driving for four years and he must undergo an extensive retest if he is ever to be allowed to drive legally in the future. Read next: West Auckland man to stand trial over A68 fatal crash Family are paying tribute to man who died in crash near West Auckland LIVE: Two taken to hospital after crash on A68 in Witton-le-Wear Stay up to date with all the latest news on our website or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also follow our dedicated County Durham Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here. For all the top news updates from across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here. Do you have a story for us? Contact the news desk at [email protected] or contact 01325 505054
