The harrowing full impact statements read at Edward Spencer’s sentencing reveal the torment of the bereaved: Harry’s family
During Monday’s sentencing of Edward Spencer, the court heard harrowing victim impact statements from the families of the teenagers killed and seriously injured children.
Quiet sobs filled the cavernous Court Room I of the Warwickshire Justice Centre as bereft mothers shared the heartbreaking last moments they spent with their children and a dad told of the struggle of living without his beloved son.
The survivors do not feel ‘lucky’ but have been left with deep psychological and complex medical needs.
There was also anger too, as each family said their unimaginable grief had been added to by Spencer’s ‘sickening’ behaviour and attitude. The court heard evidence of his speeding and ‘showing off’ while behind the wheel – yet he played innocent, pleaded not guilty and, according to the families, has not said sorry or shown remorse.
Harry’s family impact statement read by Harry’s mum, Toni Purcell
The 21st of April 2023 will be etched in my mind forever, the day that broke me beyond repair and the day that broke my family.
There are no words to express how broken-hearted we are. How can a parent be equipped to find the right words? Never seeing my beautiful boy again, the pain I'm experiencing every minute of every day is beyond any words.
I was so blessed to have had such a happy loving family, a beautiful daughter Lauren followed by the gift of twin boys, Harry and Charlie, life was perfect.
I have waves of panic at not being able to see Harry again, never being able to sit on his bed laughing with him, never being able to hug him again, his life taken when it was only just beginning. I'm tormented at the thought of Harry's final moments, it goes over and over in my mind. I go through those horrific last moments he endured and feel such pain knowing how scared Harry would have been.
I'm forever haunted by what has happened to Harry.
The call telling me to get to the hospital as quickly as possible, the hours of waiting in a quiet side room not knowing what was happening, if Harry would be OK. When a doctor came in the room to tell us that Harry was in the operating theatre I had a sudden lift of hope.
A few more hours passed, I noticed the police were no longer with us. I started to feel sick to my stomach. We were led to another room.
Four surgeons walked in, I remember not looking at their faces just being drawn to the blood all over their theatre scrubs. We knew. The following moments are a blur, the only thing I remember is the doctors telling us that they'd done all they could but Harry was unlikely to survive more than a couple of hours. They told us that we could go in and see Harry but we should be aware that he doesn't look how he would have done before the crash.
What a choice. Do we go and sit with our gorgeous boy and spend his last minutes with him or do we remember him and his beautiful smile? This decision will haunt me forever. Twelve hours after he left school, fit, healthy, happy with a whole future ahead of him, Harry was now dead.
If I didn't have Harry's sister and twin brother I'd wish myself to be with Harry, this I have no doubt. Our lives will never be the same again.
We should be a family of five but now we're a family of four. Harry's death leaves a huge chasm in our lives that can't be filled.
Harry had grown into such a funny and kind 17-year-old young man, his confidence and zest for life was so contagious.
As a little boy Harry had such charm and cheekiness that even when he was getting told off he made us laugh. Harry was so loved by so many and will be forever missed.
It's too painful to contemplate a future without Harry so I just live in the here and now. There's no part of any day when I find it harder. Every part of every day is agonising for me.
Harry and I had talked so many times about what he wanted from his future. He wanted to travel, he wanted to get married and have a big family and he wanted to visit football games around the world, with several of these already under his belt. Harry wanted to move to London and he had such wonderful plans. We were looking forward to having grandchildren. Now all that has gone.
Harry's life was taken, his future and our future with our beautiful boy, his twin brother Charlie and his sister Lauren and we will never have the joy of sharing that future with him. As each day dawns I think of Harry being here living out his dreams.
The immense anger and hatred I have inside of me is so great it consumes every waking hour. The horrendous circumstances of losing Harry is in my mind all the time and will be for the rest of my life.
We loved being part of Harry's world and expected him to have a full and happy life, now we are left visiting his grave and seeing the words ‘Harry Joseph Purcell’ etched on a cross.
People talk of grief like a wave that comes over you. That is such an accurate analogy. I feel this wave, it's real.
Seeing Edward Spencer's social media postings in the days following the death of Harry make me feel sick to my stomach. Edward standing on a beach in the summer of 2023 with his hands on his hips, with the caption ‘I'm back’. This just weeks after Harry had died. Edward celebrated his 18th birthday with a party. Harry will be forever 17, there will be no 18th party for him.
I have no words. I feel utter contempt towards Edward Spencer. How dare he enjoy his life when my son's life has been taken?
Nearly two years on and not an ounce of remorse have we heard from Edward Spencer, or an ounce of empathy shown to us by his parents.
How dare he, not even for a short time, show an ounce of respect to any of us?
I try to pretend that Harry has gone travelling because never seeing him again is too hard to bear. A lifetime now seems like a very long time. No parent should have to bury their child, especially due to horrific avoidable circumstancesThere is nothing in this world comparable to the pain I'm in each and every day. In the days following Harry's death I had sight of a number of videos of Edward Spencer's driving, some with Harry as a passenger.
Seeing so many video clips taken within a four-week driving window of him passing his test, there is not one video, in my opinion, showing him driving in a safe manner. This makes me sick. More recently, seeing Edward laughing in court, his ignorant actions in full view of the families of those children who died and were seriously injured as a result of his actions.
I'm not living a life now, I'm just existing. I'm now on medication to help me cope day to day, but even this doesn't take away the inner depths of grief that I'm carrying with me.
For the time that I have left on this earth, I will never get over the loss of my beautiful son, Harry. And I will never be able to forgive Edward Spencer.
