A man who filmed a crash scene while his friend lay dying has been told his punishment will be to ‘live with his actions’.

Thomas Beadle, 20, avoided jail after admitting causing death by careless driving.

His court appearance came after a crash which killed his friend Blaine Darnell, 19, in September last year.

Beadle shared Snapchat videos and photos of the immediate aftermath of the deadly crash he caused on the A177 Durham Road in Stockton.

As he did so, his friend was dying in his car.

Teesside Crown Court heard Beadle had been driving his Peugeot 308 too close and too fast behind Blaine’s Vauxhall Corsa.

This meant he was unable to stop as his friend slowed at some temporary traffic lights.

Beadle’s car collided with Blaine’s, causing the latter’s vehicle to be shunted into the path of an oncoming vehicle.

Drivers and an off-duty paramedic rushed to the aid of the 19-year-old, but were unable to save his life.

A post mortem found that Blaine had died as a result of injuries to his head and neck which occurred on impact, which would have resulted in immediate loss of consciousness and death shortly after.

His heartbroken mum, Zoe Darnell, explained how her son had told her he loved her just hours before he died.

She said: ‘I never thought it would be the last time I saw him alive. Only a few hours later I was having to identify my son’s body in hospital – a vision I cannot get out of my head.’

Blaine’s family had seen the images and videos Beadle put on social media, which they said made them ‘hate him for what he has done’.

Ms Darnell said: ‘You speak to your family but Blaine cannot. I’m disgusted by the photos and videos you posted that night knowing he was still in the car.

‘You should know the cost to me and my family for killing my son, why didn’t you phone an ambulance? Instead you took videos as he passed away in the car.’

In a tribute to her son, Ms Darnell had also described Blaine as ‘loving, caring, witty, hard-working’ who should be ‘celebrating his 21st birthday’.

Although Beadle has been unable to explain why he sent the pictures on Snapchat, his lawyers argued he did not comprehend the seriousness of the situation.

Fiona Lamb, mitigating, said: ‘It’s very clear from the defendant’s messages that he didn’t know the seriousness of what had happened.

‘He clearly was aware it was serious but didn’t know how serious the situation was for Blaine.

‘He is remorseful and devastated.’

Beadle is now also terrified of both driving and being driven in cars, and travels to work on a push bike.

Judge Howard Crowson said: ‘Your true sentence is not going to be imposed by me. Your true sentence is a lifetime living with the knowledge that if you had driven with greater care your friend would still be alive.’

Beadle was given a nine month prison sentence suspended for two years.

He has also been ordered to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work, complete 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days and has been banned from driving for two years.

He must also adhere to a curfew for four months between 7pm and 6am.

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