A woman, Claire Freemantle, appeared in court for the first time after being involved in a fatal crash at The Study Prep school in Wimbledon, London. The incident, which occurred in July 2023, resulted in the deaths of two eight-year-old girls and injuries to several others.
Freemantle, 49, faces charges of causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving. During her court appearance at Westminster Magistrates Court, she provided her personal details but did not enter pleas. She arrived wearing a black trouser suit and was allowed to sit with her barrister due to concerns about triggering an epileptic attack.
Her barrister informed the court that Freemantle had experienced a seizure recently. She was granted unconditional bail, and Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring directed that all charges be forwarded to the Crown Court for further proceedings on July 14.
Following the incident, the Metropolitan Police issued an apology for their handling of the case and its impact, stating a commitment to overhauling their approach to investigating serious collisions.
