A learner driver who killed three teenage friends in a crash that split his car in half has been jailed for nearly five years.

Jake Loy, 19, lost control of his Honda Civic and smashed into a Honda CR-V on the opposite carriageway of the A711 at Cargenbridge, Dumfries and Galloway, during the early hours of 16 March 2022.

Loy was badly injured in the collision, while his three 16-year-old passengers – Ian Cannon, Finlay Johns and Tyler Johnston – were pronounced dead at the scene shortly after midnight.

Three men in the CR-V were also seriously injured, with two suffering life-threatening injuries.

Loy, then 17, was the holder of a provisional driving licence and had taken the car without the supervision required.

The High Court in Glasgow heard how his passengers had shared pictures and messages on Snapchat before the crash.

One of the teens said he was “scared” as Loy was “swerving all over the place”, was a “terrible driver” and was “flooring it”.

The court heard that Loy was driving his own car but had never taken it out on a public road before.

Although his speed at the time of the collision is “unknown”, investigators believed it to be more than 60mph.

The crash split the Civic in half, with some parts of the car found 25m further down the road.

A judge noted that Loy had “no memory of the collision or the events leading up to it”.

Lord Harrower stated: “Three young lives have been lost. Three other individuals have sustained very serious injuries.

“The victim impact statements I have received all bear witness to the terrible devastation you have caused to the lives of family members and those injured.

“No sentence of this court can alleviate their anguish.”

The judge accepted Loy had “shown remorse” and noted the background social work report prepared suggested his behaviour at the time of the offence “may well have been characterised by impulsivity, recklessness and poor consequential thinking”.

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In May, Loy pleaded guilty to causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving.

He admitted driving at excessive speed while failing to maintain control of his vehicle.

Lord Harrower took account of the sentencing guidelines for under-25s in Scotland, but concluded there was “no appropriate alternative to a substantial custodial sentence”.

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Loy, from Moffat, was sentenced to four years and eight months in jail on Monday. He was also disqualified from driving for eight years.

Moira Orr, procurator fiscal for homicide and major crime, said: “This was a truly tragic incident, and our thoughts remain with all those involved.

“Jake Loy chose to drive his vehicle despite not holding a full licence and being an inexperienced road user.

“His decision to drive in the dangerous manner that he did has changed many lives forever.

“We hope this conviction brings some level of comfort to the loved ones of the three young men who lost their lives as well as those who were injured.”

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