SENTENCING STATEMENTS

On sentencing Lady Ross made the following remarks in court:

"Jorja Coville.  On 20 November 2025 at Edinburgh High Court you pled guilty to a charge of causing death by dangerous driving contrary to section 1 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

On 26 July 2024 on the C3 Moss Road, Dunmore, Falkirk, you lost control of the car which you were driving and it collided with a tree.  Your three passengers,  Reece Williams, Connor Page and Lewis Soden, died as a result of the severe injuries which they sustained.  Before I say any more about the circumstances, I wish to acknowledge that these are the names of three young men, each an individual with strength and character and with his life ahead of him, and in each case a young man with family and friends who have experienced terrible loss and who continue to grieve.

I have read with care a number of victim impact statements.  These convey with eloquence and thoughtfulness the qualities of the young lives to which they refer and how much they mean to those who loved them.

Taken together, these give a sense of young men of real character, just starting out in their workplaces, but already showing determination and ambition and people who were part of wide circles of friends and colleagues, with whom they shared affection and respect.  These are individuals described as kind, hardworking and cheerful, and as open and willing to help other people.  I have read words written in the most moving terms of how loved and cherished these men were and continue to be.  It is important to acknowledge all that they were when they were alive, and the profound and continuing impacts of their deaths on their parents, their siblings and others.

Reece James Williams was 23 years old when he died. Connor Thomas Page was 21 years old. Lewis Adam Soden was 24 years old.

Jorja Colville.  You, too, knew each of these young men.  Reece Williams was your boyfriend.  That was quite a new relationship.  Connor Page and Lewis Soden were your friends.  You were in each other’s company that evening because your friends were visiting and you were going out for dinner.  You were happy, excited, even, to be out.  You were driving your Ford Focus.  It was an early summer evening, in daylight and the weather was good.  You were on a country road.  The national speed limit – 60 mph - applied but this was a minor road.  There were some straight sections and some bends, and there were also some dips and bumps.  Indeed, not long before the collision, you had passed a clear warning sign alerting drivers to the condition of the road.  For reasons that defy any understanding, you were driving at a speed that was far too fast for the road, and well in excess of the speed limit.  The investigations carried out show that you were going at speeds above 85 mph and, shortly before the collision, you reached a maximum speed of 92.6 mph.  You lost control and the result was catastrophic.  Three other drivers witnessed this appallingly dangerous driving, and its horrendous aftermath.  They immediately sought to assist but there was nothing that they or the emergency services could do to save your friends. 

I understand that you have no memory of what happened and can offer no explanation for why you were driving at such speed.  It is suggested in criminal justice social work report that your anxiety and a sense of excitement might have contributed to your behaviour but it is hard to see that behaviour as anything other than senseless and reckless and obviously dangerous. 

I have considered with great care the report to which I have already referred, as well as the two recent psychological therapy reports and I have also taken account of everything that Mr Martin has very fairly said on your behalf this morning.

At the time of this incident, you were 19 years old.  You are now 21.  You have no previous convictions of any kind.  After school, you took on an apprenticeship and then employment as a support worker in early years education.  You have a very stable and supportive family.  You have a small number of close friends and you are fortunate to have had their continuing care and support over these last 18 months.  There are many positive things in your life.

As a result of this incident, you sustained some physical injuries, although not of the most serious kind.  You have some lost movement in one shoulder and I understand that that will be permanent.  The effect on your mental health, though, has been more severe.  You have experienced post-traumatic stress disorder as well as difficulties with anxiety and depression.  I will not refer to these matters in detail, but, on the information provided to me, it is plain that the psychological impact on you has been profound.  I also understand that, notwithstanding your lack of memory about your own actions, you recognise very clearly that those actions have had devastating consequences and that you are remorseful.  On the strength of what has been explained by the authors of the social work report and also by Mr Martin, I recognise that your remorse is indeed genuine.  In one way or another, you will carry a sense of responsibility, I am sure, for a very long time and probably for the rest of your life.

I have considered the sentencing guideline which applies to the offence of causing death by dangerous driving.  I have thought carefully about how best to categorise your driving and I have taken into account what Mr Martin has said about how I might regard the question of speed.  I conclude that your driving did create a very significant risk of danger to others and that is connected to the fact you were driving at a speed which I consider to be grossly excessive for the road.  That must take into account the condition of the road, the size of the carriageway and its uneven nature.  That means that I assess the seriousness of the offence to be at level B.  There is one very obvious aggravating factor, and that is that three people were killed.  I recognise that there are several mitigating factors, although in some respects these are qualified.  You sustained an injury yourself, although not very serious.  You had a previous good driving record, although you had held your licence for a little less than three years, so there is a limit to the weight that I can place on that, though I acknowledge that you had no previous problems with driving.  The young men who died were friends of yours, and Mr Williams was your partner.  You are remorseful.  It is also important that I have regard to the guideline on sentencing young people and I acknowledge what is contained there in relation to maturity and rehabilitation.  More generally, I also take account of the sentencing principles of punishment and deterrence.  I accept that you present a very low risk of reoffending.

Against this background, and in view of the gravity of the offence, I am satisfied that only a custodial sentence is appropriate.  There is no sentence which I can impose which will come anywhere close to matching the sense of loss experienced by those who are bereaved.  The value of a human life is immeasurable and can in no way be reflected in the length of a sentence.

If you had been convicted after trial, I would have imposed a sentence of imprisonment for 5 years and 6 months.  Your early guilty plea means that I apply a reduction and the sentence is one of imprisonment for 3 years and 10 months.  That commences today.

In addition, I disqualify you from driving for 5 years, and that takes account of the stage at which you pled guilty.  That will be extended by half the period of your custodial sentence, in terms of section 35C of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988.  The total period of disqualification will be 6 years and 11 months.  You will not be able to obtain a driving licence until you have passed an extended driving test.

When you are in prison, I encourage you to draw on the support that will be provided to you and I suggest, too, that you take the opportunity to think about what you will do with your life when you leave prison.  Three young men, your friends, died as a result of your actions, but you have your life ahead of you.  You carry heavy burdens but you, too, have strengths and a capacity to turn your life to good account.  Whether and how you do that – that’s up to you – but I encourage you to use your time wisely and, when you leave prison, live your life well, purposefully and constructively, not just for your own sake, but in memory of those who died.