St Mellons crash: Police break up row between dead woman's family and mechanic
A garage owner in Cardiff has pleaded guilty to fraud after falsifying an MOT certificate for a car that was later involved in a fatal crash. The family of one of the victims confronted the mechanic outside the court following the hearing.
Why it matters
The case highlights the legal consequences of vehicle safety fraud and the emotional toll on families affected by fatal negligence.
Image source, Athena Picture Agency Image caption, The family of crash victim Darcy Ross confronted Neil Lewis outside Cardiff Magistrates' Court
Angry scenes erupted outside court after the family of a woman killed in a car crash confronted a garage owner who falsified an MOT just weeks before.
Neil John Lewis , 47, pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation at Cardiff Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, and admitted he knew the car was "dangerous".
Eve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21, and Rafel Jeanne, 24, died when the car given the false MOT crashed into woodland in Cardiff in March 2023. They lay undiscovered for two days. Two others survived.
As Lewis left court, the family of Ross brandished a framed photograph the dead woman, and shouted at him: "Darcy Ross, remember her name."
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