The tragic consequences of dangerous driving

Earlier this year, the parents of Megan and Sophie Hennessey listened to the four year jail sentence handed down by Sheffield Combined Court on the man whose dangerous driving killed one of their two daughters leaving the other fighting for her life.

Andrew and Amanda Hennessey of Owston Ferry near Doncaster said that although nothing can compensate them for the loss of Megan, they were relieved that Nathan Hennessey had been brought to task for “his callous disregard of human life and the devastation he has wreaked upon us.”

Nathan Hennessey, now 19, knocked down Megan and Sophie on the afternoon of 27 November 2008 as he drove dangerously and at speed along King Edward Road in Thorne.

Both Megan, 12, and Sophie who was 16 at the time were crossing the road on their way home from Trinity Academy School when Nathan Hennessey, who had been recklessly ‘leapfrogging’ traffic in his Peugeot 306 immediately before the accident, collided with them. Megan died at the scene from severe head and internal injuries while Sophie was rushed to Sheffield Children’s Hospital with severe head injuries.

The sense of tragedy surrounding the incident has only been heightened by the fact that Nathan Hennessey, who has never declared any remorse for his actions, was a cousin of the two girls. As a result the Hennessey family has, in the words of Andrew Hennessey, “been ripped apart.”

“Our two precious girls were the heart and soul of our family,” added Andrew. “It was important from our point of view to make sure that justice was done on their behalves.

“Nothing can ever replace Megan but perhaps now we are finally free to try and rebuild our lives. We owe that not just to Megan but also Sophie who has been so courageous throughout all of this and continues to struggle with the physical and mental effects of what happened that dreadful day.”

Nathan Hennessey had already admitted causing death by dangerous driving at a previous hearing at Doncaster Crown Court on 7 December 2009.

The sentencing was welcomed by Ashton Morton Slack, the Sheffield legal firm which has helped guide Andrew and Amanda Hennessey through the fall-out from the incident while co-ordinating a separate civil case to secure damages on Sophie Hennessey’s behalf.

Besides successfully obtaining interim payments from Nathan Hennessey’s insurers to cope with the effects of her injuries, Ashton Morton Slack has also provided a rehabilitation team to support Sophie and her family both at home and school.

“Sophie was just 16 when she was seriously injured which is a critical time in anyone’s life, and as a result her development as a person has been affected,” says Ashton Morton Slack consultant Lesley Graves, a solicitor with over 15 years experience dealing with catastrophic injury legal work.

“Our job is to look at what we can do to improve Sophie’s quality of life, together with that of her immediate family, compiling all the requisite medical evidence to make sure her needs are met.

“A civil case of this nature is a lengthy process as it will take many years to assess the long term effects of Sophie’s injuries, negotiating hard with the defendant’s insurance company to ensure we get the very best rehabilitation and compensation for her. We will continue to fight on Sophie’s behalf for as long as it takes.”

Andrew and Amanda Hennessey, father and mother of Megan and Sophie Hennessey issued the following statement:

"It is hard to put into words how traumatic the past 13 months have been for the two of us, not to mention our precious and courageous daughter, Sophie. As parents we lived for our two wonderful girls. They were the heart and soul of an extremely happy and loving family. We will never fully come to terms with what happened on 27 November 2008, the day Megan was so cruelly taken from us and Sophie’s life changed forever. The fact that Nathan Hennessey has shown absolutely no remorse whatsoever for what he did, continuing with his life in the months afterwards as though nothing had happened, only adds to our pain.

All we can do now is remember Megan the way she was and strive to make sure Sophie receives the best possible care and attention for the injuries she received that day. We must also find the inner strength and courage to represent Megan and Sophie during and after the trial, as we hope to get some kind of justice on behalf of our beautiful girls."

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Ashton Morton Slack is committed to achieving the very best results for its clients by keeping proceedings as clear and simple as possible. The firm prides itself on its personal approach to client care and is motivated by the desire to deliver the very highest standards of legal work through its team of legal experts.

Tel: 0114 275 2888 www.ashtonmortonslack.co.uk