Content Warning: This blog contains information that may be distressing to some readers
Debbie Clack and her sister Donna Barnham are supporting the RoadPeace Challenge 2023 in memory of Debbie’s daughter, Lillie Jane Clack, who was killed by a speeding drunk driver in 2021. The sisters, who have set up a petition calling for immediate and compulsory driving bans for drivers who kill, will front our campaign on May 20 – our Challenging the perceived ‘right to drive’ day.
They wrote this blog, as part of a series of Victims’ Voice articles, as a tribute to Lillie.
How do you describe a girl called Lillie?
By Debbie Clack & Donna Barnham
Lillie was a beautiful, energetic, bubbly 22-year-old young lady – not only was she beautiful on the outside, but she was also a pure and kind soul and her inner beauty shone wherever she went. The past year has proven this with the outpour of love for Lillie…
In the early hours of Christmas morning 2021, Debbie, Lillie’s mum, heard a knock on the door. Lil was still out and she naturally thought she had lost her key. As she came down the stairs, the shadow through the glass front door did not look like Lillie; it wasn’t. It was two police officers. Debbie doesn’t have much recollection of what was exactly said other than: “You need to come quick, Lillie has been involved in a collision and we need to get you to the hospital.” Deb turned to call for Lillie’s brother Michael who was already at the top of the stairs listening to the police officer. The panic rose between them as they gathered pyjama bottoms and keys so they could get to Lillie.
The next three days were a roller-coaster of emotions, hanging on to every word the doctors and nurses said. Lillie had been moved into intensive care on Christmas Day after the consultant told Debbie and Michael that Lillie was in fact brain dead and would not make it. After begging the team of doctors not to turn her life machine off; she was moved.
On the 28th December 2021 – Lillie fell asleep for the last time. Despite being on all the machinery, her lungs stopped working and she passed away. Even during that difficult time, Debbie and the family truly believe Lil took that awful decision away from Debbie and she never had to say: ‘Turn the machine off.’
Lillie was broken – her cerebral nerves had been severed and her neck had been broken. There weren’t many bones that were not broken or swollen. Amazingly, her face was perfect, with absolutely no damage at all – she looked like sleeping beauty as she lay in her hospital bed.
“Lillie was killed by a drunk driver; a driver that made a choice that night when he fled from the police whilst his passengers screamed for him to stop. He ignored their pleas, including our beautiful Lillie.”
Lillie had been to Winter Wonderland in London on Christmas Eve with her boyfriend. They bumped into an old school friend and made the journey back to Morden together. Once back they went into a local pub for the last drink and before heading home.
When leaving, they (Lillie and her boyfriend) were offered a lift. We are not really sure how that conversation went but we do know Lillie’s killer was not with them during the evening. He arrived as they left the pub. There is no way Lil could have known where he had been all day – she lived five minutes from the area they were drinking…five minutes!
We do know that the driver was spotted by the police almost immediately and they ‘blue-lighted’ him asking him to pull over – he did but then sped off and continued to drive at ridiculous speeds through a residential area. The police stopped chasing after a minute or two due to the danger associated with his driving; the killer continued to drive at around 80 to 100 mph. He eventually lost control and hit a tree, we think about 90 mph.
The journey from Morden, South London, to where the crash happened would take around 15 minutes normally. We are led to believe he did the same journey in under five minutes.
The days that followed Lillie’s passing seemed to roll into one. Debbie was ‘allocated’ a family liaison officer – we were all living a real nightmare. This was something that happened to other poor families, something you hear on the news… Young 22-year-old girl killed on Christmas morning…
The days and months that followed were an education; one we really did not want – we could not believe that the driver of this car was still permitted to drive.
“Despite killing someone, he was free to roam our roads and potentially do it again. He never said he was guilty. In fact, he said no comment throughout his interview and then was free to go about his business.
“All the while, our Lillie had to undergo the most horrendous autopsy so the police could prove how she was killed. There was always a chance his defence team could argue that Lillie experienced a heart attack or similar on impact… we couldn’t believe this – hadn’t she been through enough!”
Lillie’s little brain had to be taken away for four weeks to sit in a lab before it was returned to her, allowing her mum to lay her beautiful baby girl to rest. That wasn’t until 10th March 2022.
Around the same time, we started a petition; we felt so outraged that Lil’s killer was still driving and couldn’t believe he was permitted. The law needs to change; how wrong is that? A mother has to say goodbye to their child and all the time there are no consequences for the killer’s actions. We are determined to see change.
There is a lot that cannot change, we understand that – it’s a slow process piecing everything together but…suspending driving licences immediately is the right thing. Knowing your loved ones killer is free is hard enough, but knowing they are driving around as if nothing has happened is wicked – the torment this causes is indescribable.
In the 13 months it took to get to Crown Court – Lillie’s killer had four holidays abroad that we know of and he continued to drive until December 2022 when his licence was finally suspended after being charged with ‘death by dangerous driving’ and ‘serious injury to three persons whilst dangerous driving.’
Charlie Hilton was given 14 years in prison – the maximum the judge could serve. Had Lillie been killed after the 28th June 2022, he may have been looking at 25 years as the law had changed. Even that is ridiculous. Judges should be allowed to serve a sentence based on the laws that day, not the day of the crash.
He was given a 25% credit for pleading guilty 13 months after the crash and then will only serve 50% (we think, it could be longer, it’s all down to the parole board). Inside, the remaining 50% will be on licence so he will actually serve five years and three months, as far as we know. He was also given a five-year driving ban to commence in five years and three months.
“During the court hearing, we heard for the first time, that this was Charlie Hilton’s fourth court appearance for drink driving… and now he has killed someone. What do we have to do in this country to enforce a lifetime ban?!”
How can anyone that kills someone under the influence and under such tragic circumstances be allowed to drive on our roads again? Debbie was given a life sentence with lifelong consequences when her daughter lost her life because of another person’s irresponsible actions.
Being able to drive is a privilege – Charlie Hilton and individuals like him should never be allowed to drive again…there must be a lifelong consequence to their selfish actions!
You can read more about the family’s petition and sign it here: www.change.org/justice4ourlillie
Sign up to the RoadPeace Challenge here: www.roadpeace.org/roadpeace-challenge/signup-for-the-roadpeace-challenge-2023/
Updated on: 18 April 2023