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A vehicle involved in a fatal crash had been previously sold at auction to a friend of the victim, Rafel Jeanne, who was driving at the time of the accident. Prior to this, the car had also been in a collision in Scotland. When it underwent an MOT test on February 9, 2023, it failed due to a warning light indicating a fault related to either the seatbelt, airbag, or both. The recorded mileage at that time was approximately 98,000.
Two weeks later, the MOT tester, Lewis, re-examined the car. During a police interview, he stated that the seatbelt warning light was no longer illuminated and that the rear seatbelt was functioning correctly, which led him to pass the vehicle with some advisories. Lewis communicated via text, beginning with a grin emoji, “Car is done. It’s 560 you have to sort the seatbelt and the airbag light. I’ve passed the car though.” Despite this, it was revealed that the seatbelts had never been replaced and remained defective.
Prosecutor Abigail Jackson clarified that she was not seeking for the fatal crash to be considered an “aggravating” factor in the case. Meanwhile, defending counsel Jon Lewis highlighted the tester’s 30 years of experience in the industry without prior complaints but described his decision to pass the MOT as bewildering and inconsistent with the professional standards expected from someone in his position. Judge Charlotte Murphy noted the complexity in determining the level of harm, acknowledging the broader consequences of the tester’s actions. She characterized the conduct as a failure of duty, yet accepted it was an isolated incident not driven by financial motives. Consequently, Lewis was sentenced to 100 hours of unpaid work, alongside a £185 court surcharge and £114 in costs.
The crash involved five individuals: Sophie Russon, Smith, Ross, Jeanne, and Shane Loughlin, aged 32. They were last seen around 2 a.m. on March 4, 2023, following a night out. The families of the three young women reported them missing that evening, with Gwent Police receiving the initial missing persons report at approximately 7:30 p.m. Throughout the weekend, family and friends repeatedly appealed for information, despite one mother being told to stop contacting police for updates. The group was eventually found just after midnight on March 6, nearly 46 hours after the crash.
The car was discovered deep within undergrowth near a roundabout. Tragically, Smith, Jeanne, and Ross died as a result of the accident, while Russon and Loughlin were critically injured and hospitalized. In November 2025, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) announced that four officers from Gwent Police would face gross misconduct hearings connected to the case. Families involved have publicly expressed their distress and frustration about ongoing delays in uncovering the facts surrounding the incident. Tensions rose in July outside the court when Lewis was confronted by Darcy Ross’s family, who urged him to “remember her name” while showing him a photo. Notably, none of the victims’ families attended the most recent hearing
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