Woman accused of killing schoolgirls in Land Rover faces Old Bailey trial

A woman accused of killing two schoolgirls in her 4×4 at a prep school’s end-of-term tea party will face an Old Bailey trial in September 2027.

Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau, both eight, died after a Land Rover driven by Claire-Louise Freemantle, 49, smashed through a fence at The Study Preparatory School in Camp Road, Wimbledon on 6 July 2023.

Pupils and their families were in the school grounds celebrating the end of term at the time of the crash.

Freemantle, of Edge Hill, Wimbledon, appeared at the Old Bailey today (Tues) charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving.

She also faces seven offences of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, five relating to children, including one aged just seven months.

Two of the charges relate to Tamsyn Van De Vyer, 44, and Smera Chohan, 46.

Wearing a black suit and open white shirt, Freemantle stood calmly in the dock of Court One as she confirmed her identity.

Around 30 people gathered silently in the public gallery wearing purple ribbons – including parents of the injured children.

Freemantle’s husband, wearing a navy suit with a pale blue silk tie and thick black glasses, watched from the other side of the court.

After a request from defence counsel Sallie Bennett-Jenkins, KC, Judge Mark Lucraft, KC, fixed a case management hearing for 23 November.

The judge also set a four to six week trial date on 6 September 2027.

Judge Lucraft told Freemantle: ‘The next hearing of your case, Ms Freemantle, will be before me on 23 November this year. You are on unconditional bail and will remain on until your next hearing.’

Criminal proceedings against Freemantle were initially dropped in June 2024 after Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said she suffered an undiagnosed epileptic seizure.

But the girls’ families always maintained the investigation was flawed, and in October 2024 the Metropolitan Police confirmed it would reopen the probe.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) also launched a probe into the handling of the initial inquiry into the crash. Eleven officers, including a commander and detective chief inspector are now being investigated over their handling of the case.

Commander Charmain Brenyah, who leads the Met’s Roads and Transport Policing Command, earlier said: ‘We have updated the families of this development and our thoughts and sympathies remain with them.

‘These charges follow a complex and rigorous reinvestigation by detectives.

‘There is an ongoing investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) into the first investigation which we continue to fully support.

‘While it is right that this matter be independently scrutinised, we are sorry for how we initially dealt with the incident and for the impact on those affected.

‘We must now let both criminal proceedings and the independent investigation run their course.

‘However, following a review of the Roads and Transport Policing Command we will be fundamentally resetting how the Met investigates fatal and serious collisions. This will ensure our responses to incidents of this nature are more effective, providing better support and outcomes for victims and their families.’

Freemantle was released on unconditional bail ahead of her next appearance on 23 November.