A SOLDIER from Aldershot has been jailed for six years for causing the deaths of two teenage members of the Aldershot, Farnham and District Athletic Club last year.

Stacey Burrows, 16, and Lucy Pygott, 17, were on a training run on November 8, 2016, when they were hit by a Ford Focus driven by Michael Casey, 24, near the army garrison in Queens Avenue, Aldershot. They both died at the scene.

Casey, originally of St Pauls Road, Tottenham, pleaded guilty to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving at Winchester Crown Court on Thursday (April 13).

He was sentenced on the same day to six years for each count of causing death by dangerous driving, to run concurrent. He was also disqualified from driving for ten years.

The court heard the serving soldier was over the legal drink driving limit and was driving at 40 mph in a 30 mph zone when he hit the girls.

He claimed he was distracted after a colleague had been sick in his car, and “felt” a collision before looking up and seeing Stacey and Lucy in the road.

It came just days after Lucy, who was from Hartley Wintney, was highly commended at the Farnham Sports Awards having won a 3,000m bronze medal at the European Youth Championships last July.

Stacey, from Farnborough, was the Hampshire under-17 3,000m champion and both young athletes were honoured at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards in December.

After the sentencing Sgt Mark Furse, senior investigating officer, said: “This is a truly tragic case which has had a huge impact on everyone who knew Stacey and Lucy.

“Both had such promising futures ahead of them but those were so cruelly ripped away from them because of Mr Casey’s stupidity and recklessness behind the wheel.

“Now the devastated families of Stacey and Lucy are forced to live on without them, knowing that their heartbreak could have so easily been avoided if Mr Casey had made the right decision and not driven that evening.

“As the court heard, not only was Mr Casey over the drink-drive limit, witnesses from the scene told our officers that he was travelling significantly above the 30mph speed limit and he himself admitted he was distracted.

“Let this be a warning to anyone who thinks that these are risks worth taking and that this will never happen to them.

“Driving while under the influence of alcohol leads to poor judgement, increased risk-taking and ultimately in this case, the death of two young girls.

“It is not worth the risk, it could happen to you and not only will you spend time in prison, you will have to live with the fact that you have taken someone’s life and destroyed countless others.”

Paying tribute to Lucy after the sentencing her family said: "Lucy was a truly exceptional girl; in appearance, personality, achievements and potential.

"She should have been allowed to enjoy many more happy years."