Christopher Arnett, 14, was hit by dangerous driver Evie Wiles, 25, who was distracted by her phone and drove through a red light as the teenager was crossing over in Hemel Hempstead
A heartbroken mother whose son died while crossing the road told his killer she may as well have “killed them all” as she spoke of her pain.
Evie Wiles, 25, was distracted by messages on her phone when her Seat Leon hit 14-year-old Christopher Arnett in Hemel Hempstead in February 2023. He was rushed to hospital but tragically died the next day from his injuries. Wiles, 25, was yesterday jailed for five years and six months for the death of the Boy Scout, who had been crossing the road when there was a red light – which his killer drove through.
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Christopher’s mother, Claire Arnett, 52, said nine heartbreaking words in court in a victim impact statement, stating: “You may as well have killed all of us.”
She added: “I mourn the fact I won’t watch him grow into a man, he was one of my best friends. You’ve not once said sorry… you never even called 999.”
Christopher’s father, Lee Arnett, told the court how his son “loved Lego and loved Star Wars and Dr Who and Explorer Scouts”. The 49-year-old, who is a shift manager for a distribution company, said: “Since that day we’ve been living in a nightmare – the pain of losing Christopher is indescribable.”
During a police interview, Wiles admitted to accelerating in order to make it through the traffic lights as they changed to amber on her approach. The judge dismissed this account, stating he was “entirely satisfied” the lights had in fact turned red.
Wiles had denied causing Christopher’s death by dangerous driving, but was found guilty following an earlier trial at the same court. As well as her sentence, she was also disqualified from driving for five years and, at the conclusion of the disqualification, will have to take an extended driving test.
Detective Sergeant Ben Heath, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “First and foremost, our thoughts remain with Christopher’s family and friends at what continues to be an extremely difficult time.
“No sentence will ever make up for the unimaginable loss they have suffered. We have worked hard to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collision, securing a charge and, ultimately, a prison sentence. I hope this serves as a strong warning to drivers of the devastating consequences that dangerous driving can have.”
In a statement afterwards, Christopher’s parents said: “Losing a child is painful enough, but the brutal way that Christopher was taken from us will haunt us until our dying breaths. His killer destroyed not just his life but all of our lives that day, and we will never forgive her for that and her utter lack of remorse and refusal to accept any wrongdoing.”
