I am writing to ask for leniency in the case against David White.
Georgia and David had only been dating for about 6-7 weeks when the accident happened. But in that short time, Georgia was so happy with him and I could see there was something special between them.
‘Why I want mercy for the man who killed my teenager daughter in horror crash’
I have been supportive of David from the very beginning, visiting him in hospital regularly, meeting up with his mum, inviting the family to our house & including them all in the different services we carried out for Georgia. And throughout this time, I have seen how heartbroken David is, how his future plans with Georgia have all been taken away, how the guilt of causing 2 deaths has taken its toll on him.
Georgia was not a car loving person. She hated any journey more than half an hour long and she hated going fast or on bumpy roads. But she felt safe with David, or she wouldn’t have been in the car with him.
I don’t know what happened that night, why David lost control at that corner, a road he had driven 5 or 6 times most days and managed safely. I understand that he was probably driving too fast as there appear to be no other reasons why he may have lost control.
I don’t believe David is a dangerous driver. What happened that night was possibly due to a lapse in concentration, a careless mistake, not being fully aware of the speed he was doing, feeling comfortable driving his own road home, things we are all guilty of. It wasn’t an intentional act, he wasn’t trying to be impressive or show off.
He was just driving home with his girlfriend and friends so they could have a party at his house. This was a very sad and tragic accident, one which none of us affected will ever get over.
I can’t help Georgia now, but if she were here today she would be begging me to do everything in my power to help David. She chose to go in that car, they all did. She trusted David, the same as she did every other day she had travelled that same road with him.
And I know she wouldn’t hold him responsible. She was such a good natured, kind hearted girl. She had so much empathy for others, and was always doing what she could to cheer other people up and make them happy.
If they weren’t smiling, she would soon change that with her infectious laugh and huge smile. She would be so unhappy and worried to know that David is facing all this uncertainty about his future.
Being supportive of David does not lessen my heartbreak at losing Georgia. I miss Georgia every second of the day; her shoes still lie at the front door where she left them; her bed is still unmade from the last morning she got up; her favourite foods still sit in my cupboard.
As deeply heartbroken as I already am over losing my daughter, it breaks my heart all over again to think about David’s life possibly being changed so drastically. He is not a jack the lad, show off kind of boy.
Every time he was here, I saw a quiet, polite, good natured young boy who doted on Georgia and did everything he could to make her happy….a big softie at heart, playing with her puppy while she got ready to go out with him.
His world has already changed, and he will always carry this guilt with him. But a possible jail sentence will change things all over again. He knows his actions caused Georgia and John’s deaths, but that would make him feel like a killer. And that is not what he is.
This wasn’t intentional; he wasn’t choosing to be reckless. It was a horrific accident, which we have all suffered enough from. It is too late to change what has already happened, and if David serves a jail sentence, the suffering will continue even more, for all of us involved.
I just hope that some of my words will go towards reaching a decision for a lighter sentence for David. It would be so easy for me to find David guilty and to put all my energy into blaming him for this. But I know this wasn’t intentional, and I can’t hate a boy who made a mistake, one which any one of us could make.
I will continue to support David, and his family, whatever the outcome. And hopefully knowing that he has my support will help to ease some of his guilt, and help him face whatever the future holds for him.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Debbie Gilham
