Bethesda driver jailed after 130mph Snapchat stunt crash

A young driver who tried to impress his mates by hitting 130mph before crashing and seriously injuring two of them has been jailed.

Morgan Edwards, 20, from Gordon Terrace, Bethesda, was sentenced to 28 months in a Young Offenders’ Institution at Caernarfon Crown Court after admitting two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

The court heard Edwards had modified his VW Golf TDI to make it go faster and disabled its exhaust gas control system. On 2nd March last year, he took three passengers for a drive, with rear seat passenger Dilyn Bailey filming him travelling at 130mph on the A55 for Snapchat.

Later that evening, after visiting Morrisons in Bangor, Edwards took a Nissan car behind him as a “challenge” and drove at 85mph in a 20mph zone. One passenger called his driving “crazy”.

Edwards then collided with a BMW that was pulling out. Mr Bailey suffered a broken leg requiring pins and rods and spent five days in hospital. Kieran Owen was hit in the face by a loose toolbox, suffering a complex facial fracture and a 5cm wound to his forehead where the skull was visible.

In a victim statement, Mr Owen said he had suffered a bleed on the brain and is self-conscious about his forehead scar. He missed his GCSEs and college and had to step away from football and boxing. “I’m really grateful I’m here today as I understand this could have been a lot worse,” he said.

Mr Bailey had hoped to join the Army but has been advised his injuries mean he would not be fit to do so. “I just want Morgan to know how serious it was,” he added.

Richard Edwards, defending, said the crash was born out of “immature stupidity and a desire to impress”.

Her Honour Nicola Jones pointed out Edwards had initially claimed he had been “egged on” by friends when the truth was they had shouted at him to slow down.

Edwards was also disqualified from driving for 50 months and must pass an extended retest.