Father sentenced for causing death of 12-year-old son in crash

Paul Vines was spared jail over the crash in Lincolnshire which killed his son, Ted.

Ted Vines was travelling to play a football match in Branston, Lincolnshire (Lincolnshire Police/PA)

A father has been spared jail for causing the death of his 12-year-old son by dangerous driving while on the way to a football match.

Paul Vines wept in the dock as he was sentenced for killing his son, Edward Vines, in a collision involving two cars near Bardney, Lincolnshire, on January 16 last year.

Edward, known as Ted, suffered a fatal head injury in the crash, with Victoria Frost, a passenger in the second car, also sustaining serious injuries including four fractured vertebrae and a fractured ankle.

Handing Vines, 47, a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, at Lincoln Crown Court on Monday, Judge Simon Hirst said: “The precise speed that you were driving was unclear. It would appear that you were driving in excess of the speed limit.

Had it not been your son in this case who died and had Mrs Frost not been enormously generous in her position, inevitably you would not be walking out of this court today

Judge Simon Hirst

“What you were doing is driving far too fast for that piece of road in those particular circumstances.

“The signage setting out that the road was uneven and that you were to reduce speed was not in any way taken in by you.”

The judge added: “Had it not been your son in this case who died and had Mrs Frost not been enormously generous in her position, inevitably you would not be walking out of this court today.”

The court heard that Vines was driving a Ford Galaxy on the B1190 above the 60mph speed limit, ignoring signs warning of an uneven road surface, before losing control and colliding with a Mercedes Benz, ending up in a ditch.

The judge said that Mrs Frost is likely to suffer pain and discomfort indefinitely, with her husband and daughter also sustaining injuries.

But Mrs Frost expressed in a victim statement that she did not wish for Vines to go to prison.

She said: “I want Mr Vines to know that everyone makes mistakes in life and there is no hate towards him.”

Everywhere he went, Ted made friends. He was a special part of the community for everyone

Family of Ted Vines

Vines, of Hamilton Road, Alford, Lincolnshire, pleaded guilty to one count of causing death by dangerous driving and another of causing serious injury by dangerous driving at a hearing on February 9.

The road on which the crash happened had its speed limit reduced from 60mph to 40mph as a result of the incident, Vines’ defence barrister said.

In a statement issued after his death, Ted’s family said: “Ted was loved by everyone – he was happy, fun and brilliant and had so many people who loved him.

“On Sunday (January 16 2022), he was on his way to play football for Alford Under-12s at Branston, as he was a part of that team.

“Everywhere he went, Ted made friends. He was a special part of the community for everyone.”

As well as the suspended sentence, Vines was ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and was disqualified from driving for two years.