Mary McCann: Mother who killed children in M1 crash jailed

A mother who killed two of her children in a crash on the M1 while driving under the influence of alcohol has been jailed for more than four years.

Mary McCann, 35, was driving north on the M1 last August with her three children, when she crashed into the back of a lorry between Junctions 14 and 15. Two of her children – her ten-year-old son and four-year-old daughter – suffered fatal injuries. Her third child was unharmed.

McCann was found to have excess alcohol in her system at the time of the collision. A police investigation also established she was driving too fast prior to the crash, and her children were not restrained in a child seat or with a seatbelt. McCann pleaded guilty to two counts of causing death by careless driving when unfit through drink at a court hearing in February this year. She was sentenced to 49 months’ imprisonment today at Aylesbury Crown Court.

Lawyer Susan Drummond of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “This is a truly tragic case where a mother has paid the ultimate price for her reckless actions, losing two of her young children.

“Presented with the overwhelming evidence, Mary McCann pleaded guilty to causing the death of her children through careless driving while under the influence of alcohol. She will now spend over four years in prison, but she will have to live with the consequences of her actions for the rest of her life.

“The heartache suffered by the children’s family is immeasurable and our thoughts remain with them.”