Dudley family speak of trauma waiting for trial only for son's killer to change plea at last minute

The family of a teenager who was killed in a crash in Oldbury in 2022 say they're distraught after waiting six months for a trial, only for his killer to suddenly change his plea at the last minute.

Ben Corfield, 19, died after a car hit a group of pedestrians on Oldbury Road, Oldbury, on 20 November 2022. Liberty Charris, 16, was also killed and two others were seriously injured.

In March, the driver, Dhiya Al Maamoury, 56 and from Solihull, pleaded not guilty to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Ben's dad, Damian, told us his initial plea was devastating. He said: "A man in his 50s who should know better. To come to the first court hearing in March and plead not guilty - that was like a knife in the back again.

"Maamoury killed two people and seriously injured two others. He changed, forever, families' lives."

However, Maamoury changed his plea to guilty on Monday (16 Sept) on the day his trial was due to begin.

Damian said he couldn't wrap his head around why Maamoury tried to insist on his innocence in the first place: "Personally, I'm finding it hard to try and take in. I've thought about this many, many times over the last two years. If that was me, I would be compelled to plead guilty at the earliest occasion.

"I find it hard to know how you would feel to plead not guilty."

After Maamoury pleaded not guilty in March, Damian said his family had to face the prospect of a trial, in which Ben's death would be analysed and explored in detail.

Damian continued: "To know for another six months, it'll go to trial. How do we get through this? It's soul destroying...the loss is a big enough blow that you're trying to carry on, but the mental torment and the anguish that this continues is unexplainable."

We asked Damian how he felt after Maamoury admitted his guilt. He said he doesn't feel relieved: "It's what we want and, obviously, the driver is guilty. But, really, we don't really see a path going forward now.

"Ben was on the cusp of his life. 19, you know.

"People say time is a healer, but I don't believe that. Not when you lose a child. That's a part of you. Part of me is something totally different. You're not supposed to outlive your children."

Detective Sergeant Paul Hughes from the Serious Collison Investigation Unit at West Midlands Police welcomed Maamoury's plea change. He said: “Our thoughts remain with the friends and family of Liberty, Ben, and those who were injured.

“I am glad that Maamoury has pleaded guilty so loved ones will not have to relive the tragic events in court."

Maamoury is due to be sentenced in November.

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