Hockley: Speeding driver jailed for causing death of Andrew Basford, 54

A speeding driver who caused the death of his passenger after he lost control of his car, has been jailed for 34 months.

Matthew Clarke was driving his Mazda 3 car along Church Road, Hockley, on Friday 29 October 2021. Both he and his front seat passenger were on their way to work.

As Clarke approached the junction at Lower Road at 67 mph, he was travelling too fast to obey the Give Way sign.

Despite trying to brake at the last minute, he lost control of the car and shot across the T-junction, colliding with a bungalow that was under renovation at the time.

The collision was captured on CCTV.

Passenger Andrew Basford, 54 and from Warsop, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, died from his injuries at the scene.

Driver Matthew Clarke survived, sustaining life changing injuries that included a serious head injury. 

Matthew Clarke, 32, of Ballygonell Road, Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, was charged with causing Andrew’s death by dangerous driving and pleaded guilty.

He was jailed for 34 months when he appeared at Southend Crown Court on Friday 22 March. He was also disqualified from driving for two years and will not be allowed to drive until he completes an extended test.

Andrew left behind a loving partner, Kerry, and was a loving son, brother, father and grandfather.

Roads Policing officer Detective Sergeant Alex Black, who led the investigation, said:

My thoughts are with Andrew’s family today. I hope today gives them the closure they need to move on with their lives.

Help us reduce road collisions and casualties in Essex and make our roads even safer. Report instances of poor and dangerous driving through Safer Essex Roads Partnership's Extra Eyes initiative.

More than ever, irresponsible, dangerous and illegal road behaviour is being recorded by road users. Through Extra Eyes this footage can be sent to, and reviewed by, an investigator within Road Policing at Essex Police.

Find out how by visiting Safer Essex Roads Partnership website.