Man jailed for death of Teresa Grimes in West End crash

Car mechanic Jacob King blew a kiss to his family as he was sent down into custody.

King, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of death by dangerous driving after he crashed into Teresa Grimes nearly two years ago while drunkenly driving home after England went out of the 2022 World Cup.

Southampton Crown Court heard how on December 10 2022, King made the “reckless” decision to drive home in his BMW after drinking six cans of lager and five glasses of rum and coke at a friend's house.

Jacob King leaving Southampton Crown Court in June (Image: Newsquest)

Her daughter Jessica Lampard said she is still “consumed by sadness” 20 months on since her mother’s tragic death.

Mrs Grimes, 52, had finished her shift at West End Brewery when she and two friends decided to cross the road to buy some chips from a nearby takeaway.

As Mrs Grimes crossed the road, her friends, Mrs Warman and Mrs Winter, heard “a loud revving” of an engine and saw headlights at the mini roundabout at the top of West End High Street.

Suddenly, the car – which was travelling at 69mph in the 30mph area – ploughed into the pavement just metres away from Grimes and her friends, prosecutor Siobhan Lindsey told the court.

“The collision was so quick, neither woman saw it happen – it was a flash”, she said.

Mrs Grimes, 52, landed on the bonnet of the car driven by King.

“He lost control of the car”, Ms Lindsey told the court, adding “He steered to the left as an evasive manoeuvre as he saw the pedestrians, but he struck Mrs Grimes and the traffic lights”.

She was thrown from the bonnet and landed in the middle of the road.

King then crashed into a parked Ford Fiesta which ploughed through a wall and onto the Asda walkway.

Ms Lindsey told the court Mrs Grimes sustained a catastrophic head injury and shortly fell into a “deep coma”, before passing away at the scene.

Teresa Grimes (Image: Supplied)

Her daughter Jessica said the loss of her mother was devastating, in a victim impact statement read out in court.

She said: “Imagine losing someone so dear to you in a way this brutal.

“She was taken so quickly from us. Mum would always be the one to light up the room and be your biggest supporter.

“Every Saturday night I woke up in a panic, reliving the moment my dad called me telling me mum had been killed.

“Getting behind the wheel whilst intoxicated damages multiple lives.”

Mitigating, Andrew Houston said King’s remorse is “genuinely expressed” and he has barely drunk alcohol since the incident.

King, of Chessel Avenue, pleaded guilty to one count of death by dangerous driving on June 14.

Passing sentence, Judge Nicholas Rowland said his decision to drive whilst intoxicated that night is “inexplicable”.

He said: “The consequence of what you chose to do will remain with the victim’s family forever.”

He was handed a sentence of six years and eight months and was banned from driving for six years with a 40 month extension.