Driver guilty of killing her two friends ‘twerking’ in the back seat

Jamaican music had been playing while the women were seen 'twerking'.

A woman will be jailed for killing two of her friends after she crashed her car moments after the friends had been ‘twerking’ without wearing seatbelts.

Adele Ojokie Aidonojie, 23, had been out drinking in London with Rida Boujetif, 24, Mary Macharia, 23, and Ben Sidibe, on the night of July 16, 2022, when they got in her convertible Mini Cooper together, the Old Bailey heard.

The defendant, Aidonojie, was driving at least 62mph in a 30mph zone before she crashed it in Battersea, south west London, on Latchmere Road, at 3.42am.

The car crashed with its roof down, sending Ms Boujetif and Ms Macharia flying into the street where they suffered fatal head injuries.

Mr Sidibe, who is believed to have been wearing his seatbelt while sat in the front, was hospitalised with a broken arm.

He told police Jamaican music had been playing and he took a video of the two other passengers ‘twerking’ in the back.

The defendant told a witness at the scene: ‘Don’t call the police or ambulance. I’ll get arrested.’

She told police the incident was a ‘hit and run’.

Prosecutor Sally Mertens told the court: ‘The defendant asserts that she was not above the legal limit for alcohol in blood at the time of the collision because, in a panic after the collision, she drank from a bottle of alcohol that the passengers in her car had been drinking from.’

The defendant accepted driving carelessly but claimed her hand had been tugged and had slipped off the driving wheel.

She has been convicted of causing the deaths of Ms Boutjettif and Ms Macharia by dangerous driving.

She was also found guilty of causing serious injury to Mr Sidibe by dangerous driving.

Judge Richard Marks said it was ‘a very sad and tragic case’ and adjourned sentencing until Friday.

The judge said a substantial period of imprisonment was inevitable and remanded the defendant in custody.

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