Van driver caused family death crash

Sep 14 2007 by Liz Hands, The Journal

A VAN driver has been warned he faces a lengthy prison sentence after he admitted wiping out four members of the same family in a horrific road crash.

Scott Easton, 23, crashed his Ford Transit van into a car causing it to plough into a tree on the A1 near Kirkby Fleetham in North Yorkshire on March 3 this year.

Easton, of Rushyford Avenue, Roseworth, Stockton-on-Tees, pleaded guilty at Teesside Crown Court to causing the deaths by dangerous driving of Paula Gilbert, 29, her fiancé Neil Jex, 37, and her sons Tristan, three, and seven-month-old Kaiden.

Ms Gilbert’s other son, eight-year-old Macauley, survived but suffered two broken legs and a broken wrist when the Citroen Saxo left the road and hit a row of trees.

Judge David Bryant bailed Easton but warned that he could expect to be jailed when he appears for sentencing on November 2.

He said: “You should understand that granting you bail should not be regarded by you as any sort of indication of sentence.

“As your counsel has said, a custodial sentence of some magnitude is inevitable in this case.

“You will be disqualified from holding a driving licence forthwith.”

The family, from Hebburn, South Tyneside, were driving to Mr Jex’s home town of Blackburn, Lancashire, to discuss a joint wedding with his brother Paul and his fiancée.

Tragically, the family never reached their destination. The couple and their boys, Tristan and Kaiden, died at the scene.

Mr Jex’s brother Paul said at the time: “We were meant to be planning our weddings together. Now we are planning their funerals.”

The only family survivor, Macauley, was airlifted from the crash site to James Cook Memorial Hospital, Middlesbrough.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance crews, who flew Macauley to hospital, called him “Miracle Boy” and set up a Miracle Fund, raising more than £40,000.

Macauley’s grandparents, Don and Mary Gilbert, now care for him at their home on the Lukes Lane estate in Hebburn, South Tyneside.

Speaking as Macauley returned to school last week, Mr Gilbert, 57, said: “The summer has been a long hard slog, but we have all pulled together, helping each other out to support Macauley.

“Finally the day has arrived for him to return to school. He had been telling us he was not going in his own little way. But it is good for him to get back into the routine.”

Noreen Reid, head teacher of Bede Burn Primary School, in Dene Terrace, said: “We welcomed Macauley back in the same way as all the other children.

“He has had a difficult time so now it is a priority for us to make him feel part of this school again.”