A teenager ‘left for dead’ by her friend after a drunken car crash says she should ‘suffer at least two years in jail’.
Becky Williams endured a fractured skull, multiple bleeds to the brain and hearing loss following the crash in July 2023.
But her so-called friend Sophie Lorenc, who had flipped her parents’ Nissan Micra after crashing into a postbox, just grabbed her vodka bottle and fled the scene.
It was only by chance that the 4am crash was spotted by a passer-by who alerted the emergency services to the crash that had trapped Becky unconscious in the passenger seat.
She said: ‘It is totally fair to say that she left me for dead. And since it happened she has shown no remorse, there has been no sympathy from her.
‘I think she is a danger to society and a waste of space. I think she should get nothing less than a two year custodial term.
‘My life has been changed forever by the crash. I have lost so much through my injuries and, even though I was her good friend, she isn’t bothered.
‘I had to have my head shaved because of the injuries and she started making jokes out of me being bald.’
Lorenc, who, like Ms Williams, was 17 at the time of the crash in Malvern, Worcestershire, has admitted causing injury by dangerous driving, using a motor vehicle on a road without third-party insurance, driving a motor vehicle without a licence, and aggravated vehicle taking. She is due to be sentenced next month.
The crash victim admits the awful chain of events began with her lying to her mother about visiting her school days friend.
‘I had just come back from a holiday with my nan and great-nan and Sophie said she was having a party as her parents were away.
‘I knew my Mum didn’t think she was a good influence so told her I was going to another friend’s house.
‘As it turned out there was no party, just a couple of others and a lot of drink.
‘It turned out that her parents were away at her Nan’s funeral but she wanted to spend it drinking.’
The teenagers downed cider, vodka and rum and then around 3am, Lorenc said she was ‘on a promise’ and planned to drive nine miles to Worcester to see a boy.
‘I said let’s get a taxi,’ said Ms Williams, ‘but she was like, “my parents have left their keys, I’m insured to drive their car”.
‘I remember her going for a shower and giving me a deadline to come up with the money for a taxi. I was calling people but got nowhere. I tried to stop her doing it.
‘If I’d got there I would have slept on the sofa until it was a decent time to go home because this boy lived on our road.
‘I really didn’t want to get in the car with her, but she is very manipulative and I was very drunk and easily manipulated.
‘Sophie told me she had driven before and showed me her licence while covering up the word ‘provisional’.
‘I didn’t even take my things with me, I was wearing her shoes, but in the end I got in to try and make sure she didn’t crash.’
Ms Williams remembers the car quickly hitting the curb and her friend nearly crashing into a parked car before it all went blank as Lorenc crashed into a postbox as they left Malvern on the Worcester Road and the car flipped over.
She was eventually cut free by fire fighters and spent five nights in hospital.
Speaking of the impact on her life, she added: ‘I used to think I could have gone far with music. I played the piano, drums, guitar, bass and ukulele but that has gone. I can’t straighten my right thumb now.
‘I have bouts of memory loss and have permanently lost the hearing in one ear which has affected my singing.
‘I also found out from blood tests at the hospital that I was pregnant at the time. I had no idea.’
Becky’s list of injuries included a fractured skull, bleeds in her brain, tendon damage to her right hand, partial amputation of her ear and hearing loss.
She has also had skin grafts to her right arm, a broken right wrist, rashes to her chest and a breast injury.
And not a drop of sympathy from Lorenc.
‘I was absolutely shocked that she would just deny her accountability for what happened,’ said Becky.
‘When I was in hospital, I had no access to social media but she was spreading it about that I’d had my arm amputated so she knew how serious it was.
‘I very much dislike her now. I was very stupid but she does not even care so I don’t think anything good will come from her.
‘She needs time inside to make her realise what serious harm she has done.’
Becky’s Mum Charlotte Pheasey, 37, added: ‘The passer-by saved my daughter’s life. If it was not for him my daughter would not be around today.
‘The other girl has shown not a bit of remorse which I find astonishing.’