A fatal smash on the M2 which killed a flight attendant on her way to work was recorded by the drink-driver’s dashcam.
Maidstone Crown Court heard today that the “nature” of Sensenal Amaglo’s driving as well as his speed and the moment of impact were captured in footage lasting 30 minutes.
Brief details of what was recorded by the 42-year-old’s dashcam while behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz C200 AMG were given after the dad-of-four had pleaded guilty to causing the death of Heidie Lee Locke by dangerous driving.
The care worker had previously denied the offence at proceedings held at the same court in November and was due to stand trial at the end of this year.
But now he has been warned he is facing a lengthy jail term when he returns for sentencing on May 12 – the day before his 43rd birthday.
Miss Locke, 58, was heading to Heathrow Airport from her home in Broadstairs when Amaglo collided with her Nissan Qashqai shortly after 6am on November 27, 2022.
The crash, which occurred between junction 6 at Faversham and junction 5 at Sittingbourne, led to the London-bound carriageway being closed for 10 hours as police carried out an investigation.
Miss Locke, who hailed from Cleveland, Ohio, died at the scene and Amaglo, a care worker of Finn VC Estate in Bodmin, Cornwall, was arrested.
At his court hearing last year, it was said that as well as being over the drink-drive limit at the time, he had also been speeding.
Amaglo denied a second charge of causing death by careless driving when unfit through drink or drugs but today prosecutor Ben Irwin told Judge Catherine Moore that that offence would be “incorporated” into the more serious charge now admitted and that the sentence ultimately imposed could “reflect the level of intoxication”.
It is believed his blood alcohol level was just under twice the legal limit when tested.
Mr Irwin explained some of the dashcam footage would be played at sentencing as “the prosecution rely on the commentary of the driver and the speeds being driven”.
Describing it as “an offence of the most serious kind”, he added that the sentencing starting point was 12 years with a range of eight to 18 years.
Amaglo, who works with adults on the autistic spectrum, is originally from Ghana and was given leave to remain in the UK in 2018.
However, the court was told a renewal application is currently on hold with the Home Office pending the outcome of criminal proceedings.
Roy Headlam, defending, added that his client has four children, all born in the UK and aged between one and four.
Asking that bail be granted so Amaglo could “say goodbye” to them, the barrister said he was “under no illusions” of the pending punishment or that he now also faces the prospect of deportation.
“I had a serious conversation with him about the outcome and it is clear there are no illusions that there are no alternatives to custody,” added Mr Headlam.
Amaglo, who was assisted throughout the plea and trial preparation hearing by an interpreter in the Ghanaian language of Twi, was granted bail by Judge Moore.
Conditions include the surrendering of his passport and not to apply for overseas travel documents. He was also given an interim driving ban.
But Judge Moore warned he was only being allowed to walk from court in order to “sort his affairs” and that custody was inevitable.
At his hearing last year, bail conditions also included residence with his father in Bodmin and the mother of his children in Enfield, north London.
At the time of Miss Locke’s death, a colleague paid tribute to her “lovely and caring” friend, who was a member of the United Airlines crew based out of Heathrow.
“She was a beautiful person whose life was cut way too short,” said Teresa Delafons.
“She was always up for a laugh and kept us all entertained on our flights across to the USA.
“She was a lovely, caring person. She will be missed by all who knew her, especially all of us at United as well as Pan Am where she started her career.”
According to an online obituary, Miss Locke was also a passionate photographer who documented her extensive travels, having worked for United Airlines for more than 30 years.
She had owned her home in Broadstairs since 2007.
A statement issued on behalf of United Airlines expressed the company’s sadness as well as its deepest condolences to her family.
