A woman, Claire Freemantle, aged 49, appeared in court for the first time after a tragic incident in July 2023 where her 4×4 vehicle crashed into a primary school in Wimbledon, South West London. The crash resulted in the deaths of two eight-year-old girls, Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau, and injuries to several others.
Freemantle faced charges of causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. During her court appearance at Westminster Magistrates Court, she provided her personal details but did not enter any pleas. Her lawyer, Sallie Bennett-Jenkins KC, expressed concerns about Freemantle’s health, stating that she had recently experienced a seizure.
Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring directed that all nine charges against Freemantle be sent to the Crown Court. She was granted unconditional bail and instructed to appear at the Central Criminal Court on July 14th. The Metropolitan Police issued an apology for their handling of the incident and pledged to overhaul their approach to investigating serious collisions in the future.
