Businessman jailed for causing death of teenage boy in Ferrari crash

Credit: PA

  • Watch Mary Stanley's full report below

A businessman has been jailed for 18 months for causing the death of a 13 year old boy in a Ferrari crash in Hampshire.

Matthew Cobden, 39, from Surrey, lost control of the £2.1 million high performance Ferrari F50 on a farm road at North Warnborough in August 2016.

Passenger Alexander Worth from Kings Worthy died when the car hit a post and overturned.

Jurors heard the Ferrari crashed because of a "simple human error" in a farm lane.

The pair were not wearing seatbelts and were thrown from the vehicle.

Cobden was found guilty of death by careless driving at Winchester Crown Court earlier this month by a majority verdict.

He had previously denied the charges.

Neither Cobden nor Alexander were wearing seatbelts Credit: PA

The trial heard that Cobden, who runs a storage business for classic cars, had been moving the Ferrari when he was approached by Alexander and his mother's partner.

The pair asked if they could have a photograph of teenager with the Ferrari, at which point Cobden offered to give him a ride in the car.

Cobden told the court the supercar later "accelerated uncontrollably" and launched into the air.

But prosecutors said the crash was down to "simple driver error - in other words, his driving fell below that required of a careful and competent driver".

Cobden broke down in court when he gave evidence.

Cobden was also banned from driving for two years and ordered to take an extended retest.

The Ferrari hit a post and overturned in North Warnborough Credit: ITV Meridian

Sentencing, the judge said that "nothing that this court can do can bring Alexander".

Judge Keith Cutler said: "You decided to to put your foot down, the Ferrari was unnecessarily in second gear, it could have been in first gear, and you put your foot down in order to cause a thrill for Alexander, you were showing off, that is the explanation for the accident and its consequences.

"In accelerating such a powerful vehicle, you lost control of it.

"Your evidence was that while you were experienced in driving such cars, the surge of power took you by surprise."

Sgt Richard Grant, Hampshire Police