Matthew Cobden, 39, from Walton-on-Thames in Surrey, lost control of the Ferrari F50 on August 22, 2016 while taking Alexander Worth for a spin
A devastated family have paid tribute to their ‘very special boy’ as the businessmen who took him for a spin in a £1.2million supercar was found guilty of killing him.
Matthew Cobden, 39, from Walton-on-Thames in Surrey, lost control of the Ferrari F50 on August 22, 2016 while taking Alexander Worth for a drive.
A court heard the schoolboy jumped into the supercar ‘in a flash’ when Cobden offered to take him for a short drive instead of having a photograph taken.
But the Ferrari ‘accelerated uncontrollably’ in a farm lane, causing it to flip and throw the pair, who were not wearing seatbelts, from the car.
The teenager’s ‘distraught’ mother Arabella rushed to the scene after hearing a ‘bang’ and found her motionless son dying, as Cobden said: ‘I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry.’
The supercar, capable of reaching 60mph in under four seconds, hit a wooden post travelling ‘at least 40mph’ when Cobden pressed the accelerator.
Cobden denied causing death by careless driving, saying the car had a mechanical defect, but was convicted after trial at Winchester Crown Court.
As the 10-2 majority guilty verdict was delivered, Cobden took a deep breath and bowed his head. He left the dock with tears in his eyes.
After the verdict Alexander’s family issued a statement saying: ‘The outcome of this trial will not bring Alexander back.
‘But we hope the media coverage has in some way increased awareness of the fragility of life and the danger of driving powerful cars for however short a journey and the necessity of adhering to all sensible safety measures.
‘We ask for the family’s privacy to be respected whilst we continue to come to terms with the tragic loss of our very special boy.’
Cobden denied causing death by careless driving, saying the car had a mechanical defect, but was convicted after trial at Winchester Crown Court on a majority verdict of 10 to 2
Businessman Matthew Cobden has been found guilty at Winchester Crown Court of causing the death by careless driving of 13-year-old Alexander Worth in a crash involving a £1.2 million Ferrari F50
Thomas Wilkins, prosecuting, told the trial that the Ferrari, which was due to be sold at auction, had been taken that day to an airfield in Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire, to shoot a video to be used to market the car.
The accident happened after the car was returned to the car storage business run by the defendant on a farm site in North Warnborough, Hampshire.
The court heard Justin Smith, who supplied car batteries to Cobden, had brought his partner Arabella Worth, and her son, Alexander, with him when he visited the premises to make a delivery.
When the Ferrari was unloaded from the vehicle transporter, Cobden offered to take Alexander for a ride after Mr Smith asked if they could take a photograph of the supercar.
Mr Smith told the court that Alexander ‘in a flash, dashed’ to get into the car.
A witness at the scene of the crash (pictured) said Alexander’s mother was ‘extremely distraught’ as her young son lay dying on the ground next to the Ferrari F50
Cobden told the court that he drove off in the car carefully, not exceeding the 10mph speed limit.
He added: ‘I’m in my client’s car and the last thing I want to do is cause any damage.’
He said he had not worn a seatbelt and had not asked Alexander to put one on.
Cobden broke down in tears while giving evidence, saying: ‘It’s something I think about all the time, if I had done, things could have been different.’
Describing the crash, he said: ‘I didn’t do anything stupid, I was just trying to do my job. The next thing I remember is being out of the car.’
The prosecution said the car was travelling at about 40mph at the time of the collision.
Mr Wilkins said: ‘Alexander died when the defendant’s car drove off the right-hand side into a long fence post which launched the vehicle into the air, flipping it and turning it through 270 degrees.
The defence claimed Ferraris are ‘temperamental cars’ and a latent error caused the car to lose control.
They argued the engine was prone at times to only using six of the 12 cylinders being used and the car accelerated uncontrollably when all of the cylinders suddenly kicked in.
But the prosecution said the car was well-maintained and the accident was caused by driver error.
Cobden was granted bail and Judge Keith Cutler adjourned sentence until March 26 to allow time for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.
Tonight, CCTV of Alexander’s final moments was released. The schoolboy, in a white T-shirt, can be seen approaching the red Ferrari
Alexander initially climbed in to have his photograph taken. However, businessman Matthew Cobden, 39, instead said he would take the teenager on a drive
Seconds from disaster: The supercar, capable of reaching 60mph in less than four seconds, is seen leaving the carpark
Moments after disappearing from shot, Cobden lost control, causing the vehicle to smash into a wooden post and fly through the air
This is the crumpled heap that remained of the Ferrari following the crash. Cobden wept in front of jurors when he told them he was sorry he had not asked the child to wear a seatbelt
The marked fence post was the first post to be hit launching the car into the air