Overview

• Neil Platt, 43, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court on 19 September after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.
• He was disqualified from driving for 13 years and eight months and must pass an extended retest before regaining his licence.
• Investigators found he repeatedly used social apps during the journey, with images of naked women on X seconds before impact, contradicting his initial denial of phone use.
• The 17 May 2024 crash near Skelmersdale occurred at about 54 mph when Platt hit Daniel Aitchison’s stationary Hyundai, shunting it into a tanker and causing a fatal fire; police had implemented a rolling roadblock.
• Judge Ian Unsworth KC called his conduct "arrogant and selfish" and "a multi-tonne accident waiting to happen," as the victim’s partner and relatives delivered emotional impact statements.