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Outside Cardiff Magistrates’ Court, an emotional confrontation took place involving the family of a woman who tragically died in a car accident, and a mechanic accused of falsifying a vehicle’s MOT. Neil John Lewis, 47, admitted to fraud by false representation during a hearing on Tuesday. He acknowledged being aware that the vehicle in question was unsafe at the time he issued the MOT certificate.
The fatal crash occurred in March 2023 when a car, bearing a false MOT, collided with woodland in Cardiff. Three young adults—Eve Smith, Darcy Ross, both aged 21, and 24-year-old Rafel Jeanne—lost their lives in the incident, while two others survived. The bodies of the deceased remained undiscovered for two days following the crash. As Lewis exited the courtroom, Darcy Ross’s family members held up a framed photograph of her and shouted, “Darcy Ross, remember her name,” expressing their anger and grief.
Details presented at the court revealed that the white Volkswagen Tiguan had suffered prior damage in a 2021 accident in Scotland before being salvaged and later purchased at auction by Joel Lia, a friend of the driver that night, Rafel Jeanne. The car previously failed an MOT on 9 February 2023 because the warning system light was on, indicating issues with either the seatbelt or airbag system. Although Lewis’s son, Alexander, attempted some repairs, they did not address the warning system as the garage was not equipped to do so. On 23 February 2023, Lewis retested the car and told police that the seatbelt warning light was no longer illuminated and the rear seatbelt was now functional. He passed the vehicle with advisories and then handed it over to Jeanne.
Court evidence included a message Lewis sent to Lia, saying: “Car is done. It’s 560 [pounds], you have to sort the seatbelt and the airbag light. I’ve passed the car though,” beginning with a grin emoji. This text caused audible distress among members of Ross’s family present in court. Prosecutor Francesca Parry noted that the seatbelts had never been replaced since the earlier collision and were visibly defective, a fact that should have been obvious on inspection. The tragic crash, which claimed three lives and left two others critically injured, unfolded after the five individuals were reported missing on a night out in early March 2023. Despite repeated appeals and efforts from family and friends, the vehicle was not found for nearly two days, lying hidden in thick undergrowth in the St Mellons area of Cardiff.
Following the hearing, Andrew Frederick, representing the Ross family, expressed some relief that Lewis had pleaded guilty but emphasized the ongoing pain of their loss. He stated, “Nothing that has happened today changes the devastating reality that we live with every single day.” The family has long sought answers about the car’s condition and demanded thorough investigation into the circumstances around the crash. The case has also prompted scrutiny of police procedures, with four officers facing gross misconduct hearings announced by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) as of November 2025. The court adjourned the case until August 19 for further reports, and Lewis was released on unconditional bail
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