Young men admit dangerous driving in fatal crash that killed Portsmouth teenager Luke Fletcher

Standing in the dock at Portsmouth Crown Court, Zax Ross-Harris was close to tears as he admitted killing Luke Fletcher, 19, of Beverston Road, Paulsgrove. Co-defendant Danny Ross-Barringer also admitted his guilt to charges in connection with the accident.

Sarah Hiscutt, Luke’s mother, gasped with shock in the public gallery when the first guilty plea was entered at the hearing yesterday.

Now both Ross-Harris, and Ross-Barringer, are facing up to a maximum of 14 years in jail over the fatal crash.

Dad-of-two Ross-Harris crashed while driving a Nissan Almera unlicensed and uninsured.

Dressed in a shirt and grey hoodie, the 22-year-old, of Allaway Avenue, Paulsgrove, looked distressed as he admitted causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury to Sonny Wedge by dangerous driving, causing death while driving unlicensed, and while uninsured.

He was charged a year after the single-car crash on the B2177 at Southwick at the junction of Pitymoor Lane on January 23 at 11.17pm.

Luke died after the crash in the silver Nissan on January 23 last year.

The Fareham College performing arts student died the next day.

Ross-Barringer, 25, Ludlow Road, Paulsgrove, appeared in court over the teenager’s death. He admitted aiding and abetting the following: causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, causing death by driving unlicensed, and while uninsured.

Ross-Barringer entered guilty pleas to all four charges yesterday.

He denied a fifth charge of dangerous driving but prosecutors are not pursuing this, the court was told.

Speaking to The News after the hearing, Luke’s mother Sarah said: ‘They should spend the rest of their lives in prison. They took Luke’s life, so why do they get to come out of prison in however many years and carry on with their lives? It’s not fair.’

She added: ‘Whatever the outcome is it’s not going to bring Luke back.’

Adjourning the case for sentence on April 21, judge Roger Hetherington said: ‘I’m ordering a pre-sentence report in both your cases.’

The court heard Ross-Barringer has no previous convictions.

Both men were supported in court yesterday by their family and friends in the public gallery.

An 18-year-old man from Emsworth, thought to be Sonny Wedge, suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken to Southampton General Hospital.

A funeral was held on March 4 last year at St Peter and St Paul church, in Wymering, with a private committal at The Oaks, Havant, following the service.