A GRIEVING family confronted a rogue mechanic who wrongly passed the MOT of a car that killed three young people in a crash.
Rafel Jeanne, who was driving at the time, and passengers Darcy Ross and Eve Smith, both 21, all died in the horror in St Mellons, Cardiff.
Two further passengers, Sophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, were injured but survived.
The five friends were discovered around 46 hours after the Volkswagen Tiguan they were travelling in left the road and smashed into trees on a roundabout.
Neil Lewis has now admitted fraud by false representation after passing the car’s MOT – despite knowing it should have failed its safety inspection.
Darcy’s family approached him outside Cardiff Magistrates’ Court today with a framed photo of the young woman.
They shouted: “Darcy Ross, remember her name.”
The court heard the Volkswagen had previously been involved in a crash in Scotland in 2021.
It suffered damage to its nearside wing, the airbags had deployed, and the airbag and seatbelt warning lights were on.
But it was sold to a salvage company in Cardiff – and no work was carried out on the vehicle before it was sold at auction to a friend of Rafel Jeanne.
The Volkswagen failed an MOT on February 9, 2023, as there was an issue with the seatbelts.
Lewis subsequently conducted a re-test and passed the Volkswagen with some advisories.
Officers found messages on Lewis’ phone to the owner of the car saying: “You’ve got to sort the seatbelt and the airbag light.
“I’ve passed the car though.”
Prosecutor Francesca Parry said the seatbelts in the car had not been replaced since the car crash in Scotland.
She told the court that Lewis had authorised for the car to pass the MOT despite knowing about the issues.
Lewis, 47, will be sentenced on August 19.
The horror unfolded on March 4, 2023, as the friends made their way back from the night out.
A major hunt for the group was sparked after they were reported missing but it took two days to find the wreckage.
The car is understood to have left the road on a slip road on the A48 as it approached a roundabout.
Driver Rafel was the son of ex-QPR and Cardiff City player Leon Jeanne.
A court previously heard they had been drinking alcohol and inhaling laughing gas prior to the crash.
Six police officers were charged with misconduct allegations in connection with the investigation but two have been cleared following an internal hearing.
