A teenager trapped in a car with a drunk joy-rider sent a final text to her boyfriend saying 'if I die, you were the one' moments before she was killed.
Mikeala Stevens, 17, died when her best friend - who had been on a drink and drugs binge - drove a stolen car into a telegraph pole at 60mph in Croydon, South London.
Moments before Miss Stevens sent a text message to her boyfriend, Jemel, which read: 'I ain't lying, believe me baby, please, if I die, you were the one.'
He then asked her to telephone him which she did and he heard screaming before a loud bang and then the line went dead.
Georgia Marney, now 18, had stolen her mother's car before picking up friends, including Miss Stevens, for a joyride near their homes in New Addington, in August 2010.
Marney, who had been smoking cannabis and drinking, ignored the 'terrorised' screams of her friends as she drove 'like a lunatic' before losing control, a court heard.Another friend Charlotte Reid, who was also in the car, suffered horrific injuries to her legs and will need treatment for years to come.
Yesterday, Marney was jailed for three-and-a-half years.
Recorder of Croydon Warwick McKinnon said: 'No sentence that I can pass today will turn the clock back. I only wish it could.'
Sarah Whitehouse, prosecuting, said Marney met up with Miss Stevens and Miss Reid at Miss Stevens' house on August 27th, 2010, around 7pm.
She had taken a case of lager and the three of them shared bottles of Stella Artois.
After that, the group separated and Marney went to a party where where alcohol and cannabis was present. It is not known how much she drank.
She then went home and stole her mother's car before driving to Miss Stevens' house where she and Miss Reid climbed in.
Ms Whitehouse said another friend refused to get in the car and described Marney's appearance as being 'unresponsive' and she was staring at the windscreen.
She said she drove the car away, skimming the kerb as she did so.
Ms Whitehouse added: 'The only account of what happened comes from Miss Reid. At first the driving was relatively normal, but as they approached a local industrial estate her speed increased and her passengers became very scared.
'Miss Reid says that the car was travelling so fast she could not see the houses going past and she estimated they were going at 80mph. An expert has said this would be about 60mph.
'Mikeala was screaming in fear and she and Miss Reid asked her to slow down.'
When the car hit the telegraph pole Miss Stevens was thrown from the vehicle and Miss Reid was knocked unconscious.
Miss Whitehouse said Marney was heard to say 'I'm sorry, I was just trying to scare you' and 'don't tell them I was driving', but when police officers arrived she became verbally abusive, calling them 'c***s' and declining to have a breath test.
When interviewed by detectives, Marney admitted that Miss Reid had asked her to slow down.
She admitted drinking alcohol and taking a small amount of cannabis, but Miss Whitehouse added: 'We will never know what the level of alcohol or cannabis in her blood was.'
Ciara Mackle-Vogue, in mitigation for Marney, described her as 'traumatised' by the loss of her best friend and referred to a psychiatric report which said she may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and moderate depression as a result of the incident.
She said: 'Following the collision, before the police officers arrived at the scene, Miss Marney was the first person to get out of the car.
'She approached the deceased and cradled her in her arms, traumatised by the shock of what she had done to her best friend.'
Marney was also banned from driving for five years.
Mr McKinnon said: 'What a dreadful example of the folly of youth that of your own free will you committed this grave and wicked offences.
'You drove at a vastly excessive speed, you ignored the terrorised screams from you friends to slow down, leaving behind a trail of devastation.
'It is clear that Mikeala was larger than life and her family are devastated.
Marney, who pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, by driving whilst unlicensed and whilst uninsured as well as aggravated vehicle taking and inflicting GBH, showed little emotion as she was sentenced.
Story from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2038067/If-I-die-Last-text-terrified-teenage-girl-trapped-car-drunk-driver-crash-killed-her.html#ixzz1Y6lWX951
My thoughts are with the families involved.
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