A dedicated social worker who played a “crucial role” in bringing a Nottingham grooming gang to justice has been killed in a car crash caused by a driver attempting a dangerous overtake in a modified BMW.
Sarah Fensom, 33, died in hospital three days after Lee Horsley’s high-powered car smashed into her Audi whilst trying to pass a queue of vehicles on a wet road, flipping her car onto its roof.
The team manager, who had helped secure convictions against predators targeting vulnerable teenage girls, suffered a fractured spine and severe neck injuries in the September 2023 crash and passed away on 15 September.
Horsley, 31, has been jailed for 15 months at Nottingham Crown Court after admitting causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving.
“Daughter Every Parent Would Be Proud Of”
Judge Michael Auty KC opened his sentencing remarks by quoting Sarah’s father Craig Fensom’s victim impact statement: “Sarah was a daughter that every parent would have been proud of.”
“In those simple 12 words, Mr Fensom captures the life and value of a beautiful and beloved daughter he won’t see again,” the judge said.
The tribute from a devastated father encapsulates the immeasurable loss inflicted by a moment’s poor judgement on a wet road.
Modified BMW With 397 Brake Horsepower
The smash occurred on the A614 in Farnsfield, Nottinghamshire on 12 September 2023 when Horsley attempted to overtake in his heavily modified BMW.
Prosecuting barrister Stuart Pattinson told the court witnesses saw the BMW pull out to pass other vehicles but Horsley “lost control” and crashed head-on into Sarah’s oncoming Audi.
The BMW had been modified several times to increase the engine’s brake horsepower to 397 – transforming it into a high-performance machine difficult to control even in ideal conditions.
Witness: “Horrific Crash”
One witness travelling behind the defendant described it as a ‘horrific crash’ and described the BMW ‘suddenly nipping’ from the first lane into the second lane and saw the back end of the vehicle snake,” Pattinson explained.
When Horsley tried to correct the car’s fishtailing rear end, he smashed directly into Sarah’s Audi travelling in the opposite direction.
The impact flipped Sarah’s car onto its roof, with the vehicle ending up in the grass verge.
Initially Conscious After Impact
Sarah was initially conscious following the catastrophic collision, with bystanders attempting to extract her from the overturned vehicle.
She was rushed to hospital for treatment of a fractured spine and life-threatening neck injuries sustained when her car flipped.
Despite medical intervention, she died three days later on 15 September, leaving family, friends and colleagues devastated.
“Powerful and Modified Car”
Judge Auty addressed Horsley directly about the circumstances that led to Sarah’s death.
“Your powerful and modified car was one that would have been difficult enough to control in the dry but the road was wet,” he stated.
“I say all this to explain in real terms how tragedy and incalculable human suffering can arise from a moment’s inattention or a poor decision.”
The judge’s comments highlight how Horsley’s choice to drive a heavily modified performance car in poor conditions created the circumstances for disaster.
“Dreadful Error of Judgement”
Despite the fatal consequences, Judge Auty clarified he didn’t view Horsley as inherently dangerous.
“I do not regard you as an inherently dangerous individual. On that day you made a dreadful error of judgement,” he said.
The assessment suggests this was a tragic mistake rather than deliberate recklessness, though the consequences proved equally fatal.
Father: Social Work Was Her “Dream Job”
In his victim impact statement, Craig Fensom said being a social worker was his daughter’s “dream job.”
Sarah had dedicated her career to protecting vulnerable children, working as a team manager of a frontline child protection team for Nottinghamshire County Council.
Her father’s statement painted a picture of a woman who had found her calling and was making a genuine difference in children’s lives.
Friend: “Part of Me Died With Sarah”
Sarah’s close friend Kat McGrath delivered an emotionally devastating statement to the court.
“She was the most amazing woman I ever met, the most important person in my life,” McGrath said.
“She followed her dreams and became a social worker, dedicating her life to protecting children. She made sure every child she looked after was safe.”
McGrath added simply: “A part of me died with Sarah.”
Helped Convict Grooming Gang
Sarah’s professional legacy includes her crucial work in securing convictions against groomers Waqas Akhtar and Mohammed Saeed Ahmed, who had been preying on vulnerable girls aged 13 to 15 in Nottingham city centre.
Akhtar, 26, was jailed for seven years and six months in 2021, whilst Ahmed, 22, received three years for their crimes targeting the most vulnerable teenagers.
Sarah’s work protecting children from sexual exploitation and helping bring predators to justice demonstrates the profound public service value lost in the crash.
BASW Tribute
The British Association of Social Workers issued a statement expressing shock at Sarah’s death.
“BASW is shocked and saddened to learn of the tragic loss of social worker Sarah Fensom, who passed away after a car accident,” they wrote.
After protecting a child from being groomed, she went on to play a crucial role in securing convictions against a grooming gang, in a case that made headlines in 2021.
“She will be sadly missed by everyone at BASW and our thoughts and prayers go out to her friends and family.”
Horsley: “Devoted Partner and Father”
Character references submitted on Horsley’s behalf described him as “a devoted partner and father, a role model to family members and is selfless.”
The father of one’s positive qualities couldn’t prevent the 15-month jail sentence and three-year driving ban imposed for causing Sarah’s death through careless driving.
Sentence and Driving Ban
Horsley pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving at Magistrates’ Court before being sentenced at Crown Court.
The 15-month jail term reflects that whilst his driving fell below acceptable standards with fatal consequences, it wasn’t deemed the most egregious category of dangerous driving.
He won’t be able to drive for three years following his release, though no driving ban can undo the permanent harm inflicted.
Frontline Child Protection Work
Sarah worked at the sharp end of child protection, managing a frontline team dealing with the most serious safeguarding cases.
Team managers in such roles carry immense responsibility for protecting children at risk whilst supporting social workers handling traumatic caseloads.
Her loss represents not just personal tragedy for family and friends but a blow to child protection services that have lost an experienced, dedicated professional.
Legacy of Protection
Sarah’s legacy lives on in the children she protected and the predators she helped put behind bars.
The vulnerable teenage girls targeted by Akhtar and Ahmed were spared further abuse thanks partly to Sarah’s dedicated work building cases against their abusers.
Every child Sarah safeguarded, every groomer she helped convict, represents her enduring impact beyond her cruelly shortened life.
As family, friends and colleagues mourn Sarah Fensom’s death, her father’s simple tribute captures everything lost: she was a daughter every parent would be proud of, a social worker who dedicated her life to protecting children, and a woman whose presence made the world measurably better – now gone because of a moment’s poor judgement on a wet road.
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