A SOLDIER who killed a young engaged couple in a horror crash after skipping Army duty to drive his pals to a party has been jailed.
Private Bradley Clough “crammed” seven friends into his five-seater car before driving aggressively to the Halloween ball.
Jack Paolucci and his fiancee Courtney Jennings were killed in the crashSolent
Bradley Clough has now been jailed for three yearsSolent
The 25-year-old was told to “slow down” just moments before he lost control of the car and smashed into trees.
Tragically, Lance Corporal Jack Paolucci, 19, and his fiancee Private Courtney Jennings, 18, were killed in the crash.
Clough has now been jailed for three years for two counts of causing death by careless driving at Winchester Crown Court.
In a joint victim impact statement, Jack and Courtney’s families said: “It is still impossible to comprehend, understand or see a way forward without the light Courtney and Jack brought to our lives.
“Such a tragic night that has affected the lives of numerous families.
“Some of the heartbreak would have been eased by truth and remorse from Bradley for an action that cost us so much.
“But unfortunately, that was not to be.
“However, we are thankful that after two years and three months we have some justice and Bradley Clough gets the reflection time in prison it’s so clear he needs.”
The court was told Clough had skived duty to drive the group from Tidworth to the party at a club in Andover, Hampshire, on October 29, 2021.
All of the passengers served in the same regiment as Clough and were stationed at Tidworth.
As they left the base, he was told to “effectively slow down” by Jack Latus as the car sped towards a bend.
But Clough skidded out of control as he reached the coroner – causing the car to collide with trees on the other side of the road.
Both Jack and Courtney were declared dead shortly after, while Jack Latus and fellow passenger Kallum Ryan were left seriously injured.
Investigators later found the car was overloaded and one of the tyres underinflated.
In his police interview, Clough lied to officers – claiming he had been blinded by oncoming headlights.
Jack and Courtney, who were engaged, had their whole lives and promising careers in the army ahead of them.
Investigating officer Rachel Catling
But when CCTV was checked, police found there was no other vehicle nearby at the time of the horror.
As well as a jail sentence, Clough was also banned from driving for three-and-a-half years.
Investigating officer Rachel Catling of the Serious Collision Investigation Team said: “Clough’s actions were incredibly reckless and irresponsible, leading to two young people tragically losing their lives.
“Jack and Courtney, who were engaged, had their whole lives and promising careers in the army ahead of them.
“I would like to pay tribute to them and their parents who have behaved with dignity and respect throughout this lengthy process despite the significant amount of pain that they must be experiencing.
“I am pleased he has been jailed for his actions and I hope the families of Jack and Courtney can get some sort of sense of closure and begin to rebuild their lives.”
Courtney was being driven to a party when she diedSolent Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
