London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 13, 2026

Learner driver who killed woman and swapped seats with boyfriend is jailed

Learner driver who killed woman and swapped seats with boyfriend is jailed

A learner driver killed a woman in a hit-and-run while ‘showing off’ to her boyfriend, who then drove the car away and helped cover her tracks.

Kennedy Lucas lost control after accidentally accelerating instead of braking and crashed into Krystal Hamilton, 20, who was walking home from the shops.

She also careened across a nearby grass verge in a complete circle and smashed into a wall, causing an estimated £11,000 of damage.

CCTV footage shows the couple swapping seats less than 10 seconds after the impact before Lucas’s boyfriend Vinny Guess drives off leaving the 24-year-old at the scene.

Lucas then tried to flag someone down, who happened to know Ms Hamilton, and told them there had been a ‘hit and run’, Northampton Crown Court heard.

She told concerned neighbours who had gathered at the scene she would be ‘back in two minutes’ and left without returning.

Within two hours police arrived at the couple’s home to ask about the damaged Volkswagen Passat in front of their house.


Northampton Crown Court jailed the couple and disqualified Lucas from driving for 18 months


But Lucas hid her car keys and told the officers she did not know anything about the accident and that ‘people park there all the time’.

During this time Krystal had been rushed to the University Hospital Coventry with a severe head injury.

The next day Lucas and Guess saw a Facebook post asking about the ‘girl at the scene who saw everything and left’ that people were ‘looking for’.

They turned themselves in that morning, 12 hours crashing into Ms Hamilton, who died 10 days later in hospital with her mother beside her.

Lucus, from Luton, Bedfordshire, admitted to causing death by careless driving and perverting the course of justice on February 6.

Yesterday she was jailed for 30 months and disqualified from driving 18 months.

Guess, from Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire, pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice and was jailed for 20 months.

Lucas later told police in interview: ‘I just wanted to have a little play around. But playing around has consequences.’

Judge Rupert Mayo said: ‘It is as serious as it gets. It involves staying by the person fighting for her life and doing nothing. It was devious.

‘Rather than attending the scene and making sure that person in the road had emergency assistance and accepting the blame, she stayed at the scene and acted what was described as rather coolly.

‘She strongly implied she wasn’t responsible and it was a hit and run driver.

‘Nothing I say in the sentencing I pass can bring Krystal back. Her family rather understandably are devastated and feel Krystal has been stolen from them.

‘They are perfectly entitled to those views. The scars will take a lifetime to heal. Her life was without value – it was priceless.

‘The only reason that I can define for [Lucas] driving the car is that she wanted to show off to her partner.’

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
United Kingdom Financial Markets Monitor Business Response to Economic Policy Changes
Scottish Renewable Energy Expansion Highlights Need for Faster Grid Development
Wales and Regions Strengthen Focus on Economic Development Through Tourism and Investment
Retail Industry Warns High Street Businesses Remain Under Pressure
Police Chiefs Highlight Growing Challenges Managing Protests and Public Order
Agriculture Leaders Seek Clarity on Post-Brexit Farming Support and Environmental Rules
Transport Unions Warn of Further Industrial Action Over Pay and Working Conditions
Welsh Tourism Sector Reports Strong Growth Driven by Domestic and International Visitors
National Infrastructure Review Gains Support as Leaders Seek Faster Project Delivery
Financial Markets Assess Impact of United Kingdom Corporate Tax Policy Changes
Northern Ireland Assembly Debates Cross-Border Trade and Infrastructure Cooperation Plans
Government Opens Consultations on Housing Reform and Planning System Changes
Scottish Government Faces Pressure to Accelerate Offshore Wind and Grid Expansion
National Energy System Operator Warns Grid Investment Is Needed for Future Electricity Demand Growth
United Kingdom Research Council Invests in Artificial Intelligence and Biotechnology Innovation Hubs
United Kingdom Expands Oversight of Skilled Worker Visa Sponsors Amid Migration Debate
Cross-Party MPs Call for National Infrastructure Strategy Review to Accelerate Economic Growth
Prime Minister Announces One Billion Pound NHS Funding Package Ahead of Winter Pressures
Bank of England Signals Cautious Approach to Interest Rates as Inflation Remains Above Forecasts
World Cup Visitors Turn American Big-Box Stores Into Souvenir Stops
Netflix Weighs Always-On Channels, Bundles and Short-Form Video
Passenger Is Pulled Partly Outside Ryanair Jet After Window Fails Mid-Flight
Innovation-led growth strategy
Public service reform pressure
Defence and industrial security
Labour leadership transition and economic reset
Northern England Pushes for Greater Influence in Britain’s Future Economic Model
UK Technology Strategy Focuses on Life Sciences, Digital Innovation and Research Investment
Britain and United States Maintain Focus on Pharmaceuticals Cooperation and Industrial Growth
UK Public Services Face Continued Pressure as Government Promises Visible Improvements
Regional Economic Power Becomes Key Theme in Britain’s Next Political Phase
Britain Expands Support for Small Businesses as Firms Seek Better Access to Finance
UK Economy Remains Central Political Challenge as Cost of Living and Growth Concerns Persist
National Health Service Introduces New Workplace Reviews to Improve Conditions for Healthcare Staff
UK Life Sciences Sector Secures More Than Three Billion Pounds in Investment to Support Innovation
Britain Strengthens Defence Strategy as Security Concerns Reshape Military and Industrial Policy
Andy Burnham Promises Stronger UK Defence Industry and Expanded Domestic Production
UK Government Faces Difficult Spending Choices as Labour Leadership Transition Approaches
Rachel Reeves Warns Andy Burnham of Immediate Economic Challenges After Expected Leadership Change
Andy Burnham Prepares to Lead UK Government With Plans for Regional Power Shift and Economic Reset
Government Creates Emergency Support Scheme for Financially Struggling Universities
United Kingdom Replaces Traditional Farm Subsidies With Payments Linked to Environmental Performance
National Grid Reports First Week of Electricity Generation Without Fossil Fuels
United Kingdom Financial Regulator Introduces Tougher Capital Rules for Cryptocurrency Exchanges
Belfast Harbour Expands Operations to Attract Investment Through United Kingdom and European Union Market Access
Scottish Government Threatens Legal Challenge Over Westminster Cuts to North Sea Transition Funding
United Kingdom Accelerates Trans-Pennine High-Speed Rail Project Linking Northern Cities
United Kingdom Secures Ten Billion Pound Investment for Cambridge Quantum Computing Campus
Port Talbot Steelworks Wins Support for Green Hydrogen Transition and Protection of Industrial Jobs
United Kingdom Sends Royal Navy Carrier Strike Group to Indo-Pacific as Regional Security Focus Expands
×