Police officers’ son, 18, spared jail after killing two pedestrians in parents’ Audi while high on cannabis pictured for first time
He had twice the legal limit of the drug in his system
THESE are the first pictures of the police officers' son who was spared jail after killing two people while driving his parents' Audi while high on cannabis.
Max Coopey, 18, struck down father-of-three Jason Imi, 48, and his colleague John Shackley, 61, when he had twice the legal limit of the drug in his system.
As punishment he was ordered to carry out 100 hours' community service after pleading guilty to drug-driving.
Coopey, who had passed his test just two months before the crash, had already amassed five convictions for seven offences between the ages of 12 and 17.
Thames Valley Police did not prosecute him for causing death by dangerous or careless driving after their investigation concluded that his driving was not dangerous, and charged him instead for driving with drugs in his system.
STRING OF OFFENCES
The Crown Prosecution Service said it was not consulted over the case.
At his trial the press was banned from identifying Coopey until he turned 18.
His mother, who until last year was a Met Police schools liaison PC, told the court the accident had been "a real wake-up call" for her son, and said he is no longer taking drugs.
In June 2018 he was pulled over by police for bad driving and found to have 5.7 microgrammes of cannabis in his system.
While awaiting a court appearance for this offence he smoked cannabis once again and took his friends for a drive in his parents's Audi A5 in Sunninghill, near the £1million family home in Ascot, Berkshire.
He hit and killed Mr Imi and Mr Shackley as they crossed the A329 London Road after they'd enjoyed a meal out together.
It really has affected my mental well-being
Max Coopey
Upon his arrest he was found with 3.3mcg of cannabis in his blood, more than twice the legal limit.
At his trial at Reading Youth Magistrates Court in January Coopey said he'd smoked "four or five hours" before getting behind the wheel and didn't think it had impaired his driving.
He said he was "in tears" hearing the victim's families speak in court, saying: "It is the most unfortunate thing. It really has affected my mental well-being."
A friend who had been in the car told the court that Coopey hit the breaks when he saw the two men crossing but didn't adjust course.
The friend's statement said: "He already knew there was someone in the road, he was already braking before anyone said anything.
Time of Max Coopey's offences
2013 to 2018: Between the ages of 12 and 17 Max Coopey amasses five convictions for seven offences, predominantly for drugs
June 2018: Just eight weeks before the killing he is pulled over for bad driving and found with 5.7mcgs of cannabis in his system
August 2 2018: He gets behind the wheel of his parents Audi A5
11.27pm: The first report of the crash that claimed two victims
11.34pm: Coopey is arrested on suspcion of causing death by dangerous driving
August 3: Coopey is found with 3.3mcg of cannabis in his bloodstream
November 2018: Coopey is convicted for drug-driving
January 2019: He pleads guilty but retains his anonymity and receives 100 hours of community service
May 2019: Coopey's identity is revealed
July 2019: An inquest into the deaths will open at Reading Coroner's Court
"Other than applying the brakes he didn't do anything, no steering or anything.
"A window smashed and I knew we were hitting a person. I could see two bodies on the floor curled up, they were behind the car to the left."
The victims' widows gave written statements to the trial.
Sarah Imi, who had three children with Jason Imi, said they were days away from celebrating their 18th wedding anniversary.
Mrs Imi said: "We had so many plans for our future together and I feel that has been stolen from us."
Her lawyer Soyab Patel told the family were "outraged" by Coopey's sentence.
We had so many plans for our future together and I feel that has been stolen from us
Mr Imi's wife
Mr Patel said: "If you ask any member of the public, 'a guy is driving down the road, he's killed two people, and he was over the limit on cannabis, and he got 100 hours of community service', you just get the answer "what? are you kidding me?".'
The Crown Prosecution Service said they were not "consulted" over the case.
A police spokesman said: "Thames Valley Police liaised with the Crown Prosecution Service regarding this case, after a full and thorough investigation it was concluded that the evidence gathered did not meet the threshold to charge the driver with a standard of driving offence."
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Sentencing, presiding magistrate Penny Wood said her "initial thinking" had been to jail Coopey, saying: "It can't be right to drive your car and knock down two people, innocent pedestrians and kill them."
However, she added: "There are no charges in relation to the standard of your driving on that day. But we can begin by saying so it can be heard by anyone in the court, that we take this extremely seriously."
Coopey has also been disqualified from driving for 24 months and charged £105 in costs, which his parents said they would pay.
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