Gran of two boys killed by drug-driver says thug can ‘rot in hell’ after he ‘killed himself in jail’
Robert Brown was serving a 10-year prison sentence for mowing down brothers Corey and Casper Platt-May in Coventry
THE gran of two little boys killed by a drug-driver said the killer can "rot in hell" after he was found dead in his prison cell.
Robert Brown, 53, was found collapsed just months after being sentenced to 10 years in jail for mowing down Corey Platt-May, six, and brother Casper, two.
The 53-year-old was high on drugs and doing twice the 30mph limit as they crossed the road with mum Louise, 28, in Coventry in February.
Just a few months later, their grief-stricken dad Reece Platt-May, 30, took his own life at a hotel on the Greek island of Corfu.
Now the boys' grandma Jane Thomas said of Brown's death on Facebook: "Thank god, rot in hell.
"He killed my grandsons. He can't hurt anyone else."
A source at Dovegate jail, Uttoxeter, Staffs, said prison officers found Brown in the morning with a pipe of illegal synthetic drug black mamba by his side.
The source added: “They are sure he intentionally killed himself as it had way more than the lethal dose. He was pronounced dead in his cell.”
The boys' aunt, Chelsea Platt-May, said of Brown's death: "Now I feel the kids won't be hurt anymore.
"Before hand, I believed we (as mothers) lived in fear he would return back to Coventry. Something we wouldn't want the kids to see.
She added: "I'm glad he's gone but doesn't lessen the blow the whole family has took. I love my nephews, I miss them much. RIP."
Brown was jailed in April after admitting all charges against him, including two counts of causing death by dangerous driving.
But he had his jail term increased from nine years to 10-and-a-half by the Court of Appeal in July.
Brown, of Wyken, Warwickshire, had never had a driving licence and was banned from driving at the time of the crash.
He had taken cocaine, diazepam and zopiclone and was driving his Ford Focus at more than 60mph in a 30mph zone on February 22 when he ploughed into the brothers.
Brown, who fled the scene, had 30 previous convictions for driving offences and had only been released from prison six days before the crash after serving half of a six-month sentence for having an offensive weapon.
His passenger at the time of the crash, Gwendoline Harrison, 42, also of Wyken, was jailed for six months after admitting assault intending to resist arrest and attempting to flee the scene.
Family members told how the boys' parents and two other brothers, Connor, nine, and four-year-old Cooper, were left devastated after their deaths.
Friends persuaded taxi driver Reece to go to Corfu for a week to try to “take his mind off things”, while Louise went away with some friends the week before.
But the dad-of-four was unable to live with the tragedy, according to pals.
One said: “It just got to him. The fact Brown only got a short sentence for killing those beautiful little boys played on his mind.
“It might have pushed him over the edge."
His friends found him dead in his room and had to phone Louise to break the news.
“She and the surviving lads have to go through even more trauma now.”
Reece’s mum Carolyn Platt, 53, put a picture of them together on Facebook captioned: “Me and my rock.”