A novice driver who killed three of his friends while speeding and then crashed into another vehicle has been sentenced to more than four years in prison.
Jake Loy, who was 17 at the time, was driving at such high speeds that the Honda Civic broke in half on impact. Three other people were also injured.
Finlay Johns, Tyler Johnston and Ian Cannon, all 16, died at the scene, while Loy was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
The court heard that before the crash, Mr Cannon had sent a Snapchat message in which he said he was “scared” because Loy was a “terrible driver and was hitting the gas pedal”.
When he appeared before the High Court in Glasgow on Friday, he was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison.
Loy, who only had a provisional driving licence, took his friends for a drive on March 15, 2022 and collided with another vehicle on the A711 near Cargenbridge at around 1:15 midnight.
It is estimated he was driving at more than 60 mph (96 km/h) on the country road when he lost control of his vehicle and entered the path of a Honda CR-V travelling north.
A crash investigator said he had “never seen damage like this to a car,” with Loy initially telling police he “didn't know” the driver behind the wheel.
Defensive player Donald Findlay KC said Loy had no recollection of the crash due to a head injury.
Mr Findlay said: “It was moving when he said that if he could have taken their place he would have preferred it to be him.”
Psychology professor Gary MacPherson examined Loy and concluded he was “immature”, the court heard, and Mr Findlay suggested he may have wanted to “make himself popular” with his peers and “impress” his friends.
At the time of the crash, the headmaster of Moffat Academy – where all the boys attended – described it as a “tragic day” for the school.
“It is with a heavy heart that our school community comes together to try to deal with this,” said Tara Woods.
At a court hearing in May, Loy pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and seriously injuring the three passengers in the other vehicle.
Sentencing, Lord Harrower said: “Three young lives were lost. Three other people were seriously injured.
“You have sustained serious injuries. The deceased were all friends and you have shown remorse.
“The social work report highlights concerns raised by psychological assessments carried out between the ages of 12 and 17.”
The court heard that “impulsiveness” and “recklessness” may have played a role, but a social worker's report found Loy was at “low risk” of re-offending.
Chief Inspector Lorraine Napier said: “I would like to pay tribute to the families and friends of the three young men who died in this accident and thank everyone who worked so hard to bring this case to a close.
“No conviction or sentence will ever reflect the impact the crash had on the families and friends of Ian, Tyler and Finlay, but I hope it provides some degree of closure.”
