A 17-year-old boy suffered a catastrophic brain injury after falling from the bonnet of a car driven by his friend, Chanelle Guest. The victim’s father arrived at the scene to find his son “bloodied and lifeless” cradled by a police officer.
On May 17th, Guest, now 18, had been socializing with friends in the Brecon High School car park where multiple vehicles were parked. CCTV footage showed a Renault Clio moving with a passenger leaning out of the window, neither matched the defendant initially. During the sentencing hearing at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court, it emerged that the victim had been sitting on the bonline while Guest was behind the wheel. As Guest made a right-hand turn, the victim slipped off, hitting his head on the tarmac and sustaining a fractured skull.
Emergency services responded swiftly. Police found the boy bleeding heavily from his left ear and drifting in and out of consciousness. Guest admitted to driving the car, which was not hers, and she had no insurance. The victim endured complex skull fractures, multiple brain contusions, and hemorrhaging on the left side of his brain.
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After several critical days in hospital and a readmission due to facial paralysis, the victim faces a long road to recovery. His father described how his son’s short-term memory and daily life are now severely affected. Before the accident, the boy was a skilled air rifle shooter, engineering student, lifeguard, and highly social. Now, though outwardly unchanged, his personality and mental health have dramatically suffered.
“He has nightmares and erratic behavior caused by ‘spiky brain’ injury,” the father said. “He’s told me, ‘I’ve got nothing left.’”
Guest pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving. Her barrister highlighted her remorse and caring nature, noting the accident likely would not have occurred if the victim had not climbed onto the bonnet.
Judge Jeremy Jenkins described the incident as a tragic result of youthful recklessness and suspended Guest’s 21-month sentence for the same period. Additional penalties include 100 hours of community service and a two-year driving ban.
The court hopes the ordeal has imparted maturity and responsibility to Guest, while the victim and his family continue to cope with the life-altering consequences of that day.