A judge has criticised Lancashire Police for failing to breath test a teenage mother who crashed a car in killing an 18-year-old man.

It was "inexcusable" that Kayleigh Ann Goodwin, 18, of Rockliffe Villas, Bacup was not breath tested, Judge Beverley Lunt said at Burnley Crown Court.

Goodwin was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving and jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Craig Cronshaw died after Goodwin's car crashed in Stacksteads.

Her friend Ruth Bailey was also injured when the car crashed after they had been on a night out in December 2007.

Goodwin was speeding at up to twice the limit on a winding 30mph road when she crashed in wet conditions and the car spun out of control, the court heard.

Her friends were thrown from the car as a result of the crash, which occurred on Booth Road. Goodwin received minor injuries.

The teenager was 17 at the time of the crash and had passed her test eight weeks earlier. She lied about being behind the wheel of the Citroen Saxo and claimed Mr Cronshaw had been driving.

Forensic experts proved she was the driver.

A jury at Burnley Crown Court found her guilty of causing death by dangerous driving last month.


Judge Beverley Lunt told Goodwin she had blackened Mr Cronshaw's name by claiming he was behind the wheel and high on drink and drugs.

She said: "This added to the grief and distress of his family."

The judge added: "Even in the aftermath and shock and panic you lied to the police, in my judgment it was inexcusable to persist in that lie.

"You have never shown any remorse or contrition or compassion for Craig Cronshaw or his family."

Goodwin was sent to a Young Offenders Institution for four-and-a-half years and banned from driving for five years.

Judge Lunt asked the court why Goodwin was never breathalysed by the police officer at the crash scene.

She said: "That's either gross negligence or a massive dereliction of duty. She had to be breathalysed and she wasn't and I find that inexcusable."

Judge Lunt also said Goodwin was "fed" questions when interviewed by Lancashire Police.

She said: "This should all be looked at very closely, as an investigation I don't think I've ever seen one so bad."

Mr Cronshaw's parents read out a statement outside the court.

Mrs Reynard said: "The sentence reflects the seriousness of the incident and the heartache and pain that Kayleigh has put us through over the last 14 months."

But Mrs Reynard said she had no criticism of the Lancashire Police investigation.

She said: "I feel the police and everybody involved did their best."

THE BBC.CO.UK