Three men jailed after fatal crash in Boarstall last summer

Following a Thames Valley Police investigation, three men have been jailed for more than 19 years after a fatal road traffic collision that occurred in Boarstall in June 2020.

Jimmy Loveridge, aged 29, of Chertsey Road, Chobham, Surrey, Albert Johnson, aged 36, of Peters Close, Cheltenham, and Paul Smith, aged 29, of Hearmon Close, Yately Hampshire, were all sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on April 23.

They were sentenced following a four week trial at Oxford Crown Court, whereby Loveridge was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving, causing death while driving uninsured, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, conspiracy to burgle, using criminal property and possession of a bladed article.

Johnson was convicted of conspiracy to burgle and using criminal property, and Smith was found guilty of conspiracy to burgle, using criminal property and possession of a bladed article.

Loveridge received a jail term of ten years, while Smith was sentenced to five years, and Johnson four years and four months.

The convictions relate to an incident on 10 June last year, whereby Loveridge was driving a Mercedes car, that had been reported as stolen, on the wrong side of the B4011 near Boarstall, with Smith and Johnson as passengers.

It was in collision with another vehicle, a Mitsubishi Warrior which was travelling in the opposite direction. As a result of the collision a third passenger in the Mercedes, Rocky Broadway, also known as Rocky/ Rockie Boswell, tragically died.

Loveridge, Johnson, Smith, and the driver of the Mitsubishi, all sustained serious injuries for which they required hospital treatment.  

Detective Inspector Aidan Donohoe, of Banbury police station, said: “After officers arrived at the scene of this collision, it was discovered that the Mercedes car was travelling on false registration plates, and had been reported as stolen some weeks prior from St Albans in Hertfordshire.

“Additionally, members of the public who had stopped to help in the aftermath told officers that a person from the Mercedes had left the vehicle. A police dog handler later located Smith about a kilometre from where the collision happened.

“Found within the Mercedes car were balaclavas, gloves, a machete, and other implements to commit burglaries.

“Loveridge, Johnson and Smith have now all been convicted and sentenced in connection with this incident, which was a joint investigation between the Thames Valley Police Serious Collision Investigation Unit, and the Cherwell and West Priority Crime Team.

“It was clear from the evidence recovered during the investigation that on the night of the collision the occupants of this stolen vehicle were on their way to commit a burglary. Dressed in black clothing with balaclavas and gloves, armed with a machete and in a car containing crowbars and other articles intended to force entry they could have intended nothing else.

“Tragically the manner of Loveridge’s driving resulted in the death of one of the group, Rocky Broadway. A devastating loss for his family and in particular his young children.

“Additionally, an innocent member of the public received serious injuries and the other passengers inside the Mercedes also received serious injuries.  The fact that Paul Smith, despite his injuries, extricated himself from the vehicle and sought to escape, leaving his associates entrapped in the vehicle, says much about the morality of this group.

“I welcome the sentence of the court and would like to take this opportunity to praise those members of the public that stopped to assist at the scene of the collision last June.”