Young rugby aces were over drink limit, Coroner told

Nineteen-year-old Billy Joe Edwards -- the brother of Great Britain rugby league legend Shaun Edwards -- and Craig Johnson, aged 18, were killed when the car they were travelling in ploughed into a wall in Turton Road, Tottington

A Bury inquest on Tuesday failed to determine which one of the Wigan Warriors' under-21 players was at the wheel at the time of the accident in February of this year.

The two, both from the Wigan area, had enjoyed a night out in Bolton on Saturday, February 8.

The Pugeout 106 in which they were travelling was owned by Craig Johnson, the brother of Great Britain and Warriors centre Paul Johnson.

It left the road in wet conditions at a sharp bend before hitting two garden walls and coming to rest on its roof. The inquest was told that neither Craig nor Billy Joe was wearing seatbelts.

Paramedics pronounced both dead at the scene.

Billy Joe was found to be two-and-a-half times over the legal drink drive limit, while Craig exceeded the regulations by nearly three-and-a-half times.

A forensic expert and a police accident investigator said they could not be certain that Craig Johnson had been at the controls.

The inquest was told that fibre tests carried out on the car showed the driver's seat carried more fibres from Craig's shirt than did the passenger seat. There were also more fibres from a pair of trousers worn by Billy Joe on the passenger seat.

Independent investigator Guy Day -- commissioned to do a report by the Edwards family -- said he was almost certain that Johnson was driving the car.

He said: "It is felt by myself, with a conviction approaching certainty, that Billy Joe Edwards was sitting in the passenger seat and Craig Johnson was sitting in the driver's seat at the time of the accident."

But coroner Simon Nelson said he could only record an open verdict on the evidence he had heard.

He said: "They potentially had illustrious careers ahead of them and that only goes to emphasise the sadness of this tragedy.

"The one factor clearly present here was alcohol. In my view the passenger, whoever that may have been, is equally accountable not only for his own actions but also for those of the driver.

"The passenger would have been aware of the limitations of his driver."

Speaking after the inquest, Shaun Edwards said: "If there's anything positive to come out of all this negativity, then someone somewhere will think before they drive when over the limit, will think before they drive at very high speeds, or at worst do both.

"Hopefully they will think about the devastating effects on their family and on the family of their innocent passengers.

"The last nine months have been a living nightmare. I'm just trying to be there for my mum. Whatever I'm going through, it's much worse for her and my father."

TWO promising rugby league stars were both over the drink-drive limit when they were killed in an horrific late night car smash.

Nineteen-year-old Billy Joe Edwards -- the brother of Great Britain rugby league legend Shaun Edwards -- and Craig Johnson, aged 18, were killed when the car they were travelling in ploughed into a wall in Turton Road, Tottington

A Bury inquest yesterday failed to determine which one of the Wigan Warriors' under-21 players was at the wheel at the time of the accident in February of this year.

The two, both from the Wigan area, had enjoyed a night out in Bolton on Saturday, February 8.

The Pugeout 106 in which they were travelling was owned by Craig Johnson, the brother of Great Britain and Warriors centre Paul Johnson.

It left the road in wet conditions at a sharp bend before hitting two garden walls and coming to rest on its roof. The inquest was told that neither Craig nor Billy Joe was wearing seatbelts.

Paramedics pronounced both dead at the scene.

Billy Joe was found to be two-and-a-half times over the legal drink drive limit, while Craig exceeded the regulations by nearly three-and-a-half times.

A forensic expert and a police accident investigator said they could not be certain that Craig Johnson had been driving.

The inquest was told that fibre tests carried out on the car showed the driver's seat carried more fibres from Craig's shirt than did the passenger seat. There were also more fibres from a pair of trousers being worn by Billy Joe on the passenger seat.

Independent investigator Guy Day -- in a report commissioned by the Edwards family -- said he was almost certain that Johnson was driving the car.

He said: "It is felt by myself, with a conviction approaching certainty, that Billy Joe Edwards was sitting in the passenger seat and Craig Johnson was sitting in the driver's seat at the time of the accident."

But coroner Simon Nelson said he could only record an open verdict on the evidence he had heard. He said: "They potentially had illustrious careers ahead of them and that only goes to emphasise the sadness of this tragedy.

"The one factor clearly present here was alcohol. In my view the passenger, whoever that may have been, is equally accountable not only for his own actions but also for those of the driver.

"The passenger would have been aware of the limitations of his driver."

Speaking after the inquest, Shaun Edwards said: "If there's anything positive to come out of all this negativity, then someone somewhere will think before they drive when over the limit, will think before they drive at very high speeds, or at worst do both.

"Hopefully they will think about the devastating effects on their family and on the family of their innocent passengers.

"The last nine months have been a living nightmare. I'm just trying to be there for my mum. Whatever I'm going through, it's much worse for her and my father."