Teenager admits killing three friends in crash

A 19-year-old man has pleaded guilty to killing three of his friends by dangerous driving near Dumfries.

Jake Loy, who was 17 at the time, was driving the car on the A711 Dumfries to Dalbeattie Road in March 2022 when he crashed into another vehicle.

Finlay Johns, Ian Cannon and Tyler Johnston, who were all 16, died at the scene.

Three men in the other car were also injured.

Loy - who had a provisional licence - had gone for a drive with his friends on the evening of Tuesday 15 March.

He crashed into another vehicle on the A711 at Cargenbridge, just outside Dumfries, at about 00:15 on the Wednesday morning.

The three boys - all from Moffat - died at the scene.

The three people in the other car were seriously injured, as was Loy himself.

Prosecutor Alex Prentice KC told the High Court in Glasgow there had been an "almighty impact".

He added: "The Crown position is that driver inexperience and excessive speed were significant factors in the loss of control of the vehicle."

Loy's Honda split in two from the force of the collision.

One experienced crash investigator said he had "never seen damage like that to a car".

Mr Prentice told how, hours after the crash, a boy in the same Snapchat group as the teenagers saw a message Ian Cannon had written before the tragedy.

He said: "He was saying that he was scared because Jake Loy was swerving all over the place, that he was a terrible driver and he was flooring it.

"It is not possible to pinpoint the precise point in the journey the message was sent."

Donald Findlay KC, defending, told the hearing that Loy had "no recollection" of the crash.

He added: "That being so, the precise cause of the loss of control cannot be determined.

"Whether it was speed, a distraction in the vehicle or any external distraction - an animal or whatever - no explanation can be forthcoming."

At the time of the crash, the head teacher at Moffat Academy - which all the boys had attended - described it as a "tragic day" for the school.

"It is with heavy hearts that our school community comes together to try and come to terms with this," she said.

Loy pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and the judge – Lord Harrower – asked for background reports.

Loy had his bail continued and will be sentenced in July.