Colby Hammond, 20, was more than twice the legal drink-drive limit when he lost control of his Seat Ibiza and ploughed into a tree in Broadstairs, Kent, killing Ethan Entwistle
Mail Online. Colby Hammond, 20, has been handed a seven-year prison sentence after his drink-driving led to the death of a friend.
On 1 October 2023, following a night out in Broadstairs, Kent, celebrating a “school reunion”, Hammond lost control of his Seat Ibiza. He was speeding at a shocking 75mph in a 30mph zone on Dumpton Park Drive, close to the seafront.
At the time of the accident, he was found to be around double the legal limit for alcohol consumption while driving.
Before the fatal collision, it emerged that a drunk Hammond had also driven the wrong way down a one-way street before losing control and smashing into a tree.
The passenger seat, occupied by 18 year old Ethan Entwistle, suffered ‘terrible’ damage, reports Wales Online.
Sadly, Mr Entwistle passed away in the incident, just two days before his 19th birthday.
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Having pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving in June, Hammond is required to spend at least two-thirds of his sentence behind bars.
Additionally, he has received a six-year driving ban from the date he becomes eligible for release and must pass an extended retest to regain his licence.
Canterbury Crown Court heard on Thursday that one of Hammond’s passengers had previously informed the police about his habitual drink-driving, calling it a “pretty normal thing” for him.
Over 30 of Mr Entwistle’s family and friends, along with a significant number of Hammond’s supporters, watched as Judge Simon James handed down his sentence for the crime.
“With three passengers in your vehicle you were driving at speeds well in excess of the speed limit and probably more than twice the legal alcohol limit,” declared Judge James.
“You drove the wrong way down a one-way street and refused to heed the warning of your passengers to slow down.”
He added: “Although, of course, you didn’t intend to kill him, his death was caused by your irresponsibility, criminally reckless speed, abject failure to have regard to the safety of others and your deliberate decision to drive while under the influence of alcohol, something which it appears you had a habit of doing.”
Before the tragic accident on October 1, Mr Entwistle and Hammond were practically strangers, having only met on September 30 through mutual friends Benjamin Brazil and Mason Anderson.
Their night began with drinks in a shed around 11pm, before moving on to a local pub.
After the pub shut at about 1.30am, the group, rather than calling it a night, decided to drive to Ramsgate for more drinks, staying until 3am. Hammond had promised to refrain from drinking before they left, driving towards Mr Brazil’s residence, reports KentOnline.
Prosecutor Sam Barker disclosed that a car insurance black box fitted in the vehicle indicated Hammond was often speeding on both legs of the trip, with “Over half the data points for the journey in excess of the speed limit.”
The two surviving passengers in the car, Mr Brazil and Mr Anderson, admitted they were too drunk to clearly recall the return trip to Broadstairs. Nonetheless, Mr Anderson remembered yelling, “Slow down, we’re going to crash”, but his warnings were ignored.
He later told police he had been “really scared” at the time, stating: “I have never had to brace for a car crash before, but I could see it happening in front of me – I think I closed my eyes and the crash happened.”
The court was informed that the two-and-a-half mile drive from Ramsgate to Broadstairs should have taken under ten minutes at the legal speed limit.
Hammond ended up crashing into a tree trunk at a speed between 61 and 63mph, inflicting terrible damage to the passenger compartment. The roof was squashed down, compressing the front passenger seat to about half its normal size, as reported byMail Online.
Additionally, the front passenger airbag was deactivated, so it did not inflate during the collision.
Following the accident, both Hammond and Mr Brazil managed to get out of the destroyed car, but Mr Anderson was left trapped inside, sustaining grave injuries to his chest and lungs.
Hammond reportedly collapsed onto a grass verge and exclaimed, “I think I’m going to prison now.”
Mr Brazil, who had brought along his best mate Mr Entwistle for the evening out, relayed to the court that he was seated in the passenger seat directly behind him and desperately tried to save his life after the crash.
“I tried my best to keep him alive,” he declared in court, recounting how he dragged his friend from the wreckage and attempted CPR, urging Mr Anderson to call 999.
“I consider myself extremely lucky but it doesn’t take away my guilt that I survived and Ethan did not,” he confessed.
Sadly, no help could have saved Mr Entwistle at that point, as a post-mortem examination later showed he had sustained “massive blunt-force injuries” that were “unsurvivable.”
Nonetheless, paramedics valiantly attempted to resuscitate him for over an hour before he was tragically declared deceased at 4:30am on October 1.
Upon being apprehended at the scene after the accident, Hammond is said to have made remarks about facing prison time and voiced remorse over how let down his parents would feel.
He also candidly told paramedics about his alcohol consumption, admitting he had “one or two Jagerbombs” at the pub and “one or two” of a drink he couldn’t remember in Ramsgate.
Yet, when interrogated by the police, he consistently chose to remain silent.
Judge James paid tribute to Mr Entwistle, describing him as “clearly a very special young man” who was both “vibrant and popular”. He hailed him as “a beloved son, a supportive big brother and a friend to many”, adding: “His death has broken the hearts of all who knew and loved him.”
Among those most deeply affected by his tragic passing was his mother Keena Entwistle, who delivered a heart-wrenching victim impact statement during the hearing.
Her statement read: “I can honestly say that Ethan would have preferred to have been killed rather than any other person in the car – as was his selfless nature..
“He was an innocent, introverted boy who showed devotion to his family. When he left that night, I remember telling him I love him and, ‘Be good’.
“He said, ‘I always am, love you momsie’ – those were his last words to me. My heart shattered that day and has never healed.
“I should have been celebrating his birthday. Instead, my beautiful blue-eyed boy was dead on a trolley.
“There was dried blood on his ear, there was a bruise on his shoulder, his nose was broken. All I wanted to do was hold him but I couldn’t.
“I’ve not slept for more than a few hours since the crash. I’ve not slept on a Saturday night since October 1, 2023, because I fear someone else will die.”
Speaking outside the court on Thursday, Ms Entwistle revealed she was unconcerned by the sentence handed down, as it was the admission of guilt she had desperately needed.
“The sentence, I wasn’t fussed by. It was the fact that I needed him to plead guilty,” she explained. “I needed him to take responsibility for what he’d done and the trauma he’d caused. With him doing that, that was what I wanted.”
She added: “I’ve felt immense guilt because I wasn’t there with Ethan. I’ve been told by numerous people that it wasn’t anything to do with me and hearing him has helped relieve some of that guilt that I was feeling.”
Following her son’s heartbreaking death, Ms Entwistle has launched a crusade to stop other youngsters suffering the same devastating fate, calling on the government to introduce graduated driving licences.
These suggested licences would prohibit young motorists from transporting ‘peer-aged passengers’ for six months after passing their test, with limited exemptions.
They would also forbid young drivers from using vehicles between midnight and 6am, the timeframe when most deadly accidents statistically happen.
“We want the Government to acknowledge the fact that our children aren’t a number, they’re not a statistic, they’re a person and if it [had] been in place, there is the possibility Ethan could be here now,” Ms Entwistle declared.
Yet, despite a relentless campaign and a petition that amassed more than 100,000 signatures, a Department for Transport spokesman previously announced that the government was not considering graduated driving licences, instead concentrating on their current Road Safety Strategy.
After the verdict was handed down, DC Lee Berridge of Kent Police, who spearheaded the investigation, said: “This has been a tragic case for all involved. Our investigation shows that the cause of the collision was due to the irresponsible actions of the driver in consuming alcohol and having little to no regard for the safety of his passenger, furthermore failing to heed the warning of his passengers to slow down.
“The message is clear, never get behind the wheel of a vehicle after drinking alcohol and if you are a passenger, don’t be afraid to refuse a lift.
“The decision by Colby Hammond to drink and drive that night had devastating consequences. A life was lost, and my thoughts remain with them and their loved ones who have been left grieving.”