By Nelli Bird, Catriona Aitken, BBC News
Family photoA disqualified driver who killed his girlfriend after speeding into a garden wall has been sentenced to 10 years in jail.
Cameron Jones, 30, was behind the wheel of the white Audi S3 when it crashed, before abandoning 25-year-old Demi Mabbitt who was lying seriously injured in the road on 5 April.
Jones ran away from the scene on Merthyr Tydfil’s Swansea Road, prompting a police manhunt, before he turned himself in three weeks later.
A judge said his actions were “inhuman and self centred” and showed cowardice.
Jones, from Merthyr Tydfil, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and also admitted he was uninsured and disqualified, failed to stop after the crash or report it, making a total of five charges.
Abigail Jackson, prosecuting, told the hearing at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on Wednesday that one eyewitness estimated Jones reached speeds of up to 120mph on the 20mph road.
While CCTV footage showed he was speeding, the precise speed could not be pinpointed, she added.
Chad Pop, who was driving behind Cameron Jones, said the road was “soaking wet” and while the Audi was “initially driven normally” it later accelerated “dramatically”.
Mr Pop described the crash “like a bomb had gone off” with “car parts everywhere”.
The court heard Jones approached Chad Pop and asked for a lift, but was refused.
Another eyewitness, who saw the aftermath of the crash, recalled Jones saying: “I need to get the guy who was driving the car.”
But he told another eyewitness: “My missus has just crashed her car.”
Ms Jackson told the court there was damage to nearby properties and pieces of the Audi were found strewn over the road.
There was also significant damage to the car. The tyres had “exceptionally low grip” and the front-side windows were heavily tinted, both well below the legal limit, she said.
South Wales PoliceMs Jackson said Jones had 27 previous convictions for 55 offences, including motoring convictions.
Jones was released from custody on 6 March 2024, 30 days before the crash, and was subject to licence conditions at the time.
Andrew Davies, defending Jones, said his client understood the “incurable hurt and pain of his actions” and was “devastated by the consequences of his driving”.
Sentencing Jones to 10 years in prison, of which he will spend half in custody, Judge Jeremy Jenkins said his actions were “deliberate and dangerous” and “inhuman and self centred”.
“With self preservation in mind, you took a bag from the vehicle and with no regard for Ms Mabbitt, you ran away,” he said.
“You have shown not the slightest remorse or contrition.”
Jones was also disqualified from driving for 10 years.
‘Heart of gold’
One CCTV clip played in court showed Jones “walk over to where Ms Mabbitt is, appear to lean over and check her, before walking away”, said Ms Jackson.
The court heard how a member of the public saw Ms Mabbitt lying on the side of the road, 27m (89ft) from the car, with “serious” injuries, and performed CPR.
She was taken to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff where she was assessed as having an “extensive head injury”.
By 11 April her condition deteriorated and she died at 11:20 BST the following day.
Paying tribute to his daughter in court, Paul Mabbitt said his family was “torn apart” by the loss.
He said his daughter “had the most amazing laugh and put a smile on everyone’s face”.
“I will never be able to forget what I saw that day and the image of Demi lying on the side of the road.”
He said Ms Mabbitt had been in a relationship with Jones for four years and the family “did not approve” of him.
Her sister, Gemma Williams, said Ms Mabbitt “trusted too much and fell for the wrong person”.
“She was the best sister with a heart of gold,” she said.
After the sentencing, Jordan Jones of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “This case highlights the severe consequences of dangerous driving.
“Cameron Jones’ actions have led to a tragic loss of life, and his attempts to evade responsibility only compounded the grief of Demi Mabbitt’s loved ones.”
Det Sgt Debbie Hobrough, a serious collision investigation officer, added: “Demi Mabbitt lay dying on the side of the road when Jones callously fled from the scene of the crash without trying to help her.
“The tragic manner of Demi’s death has shaken the whole community.”
Demi’s father, Paul Mabbitt, thanked the police and said it had been a difficult day for the family, adding: “No sentence will ever be enough to bring justice for the death of our beautiful girl Demi.
“Our family is broken. We love you Dems, forever and always.”
