Gosport hit-and-run deaths: Man charged with manslaughter of two girls

Twenty-year old man remanded in custody after court appearance, with next hearing to take place tomorrow

A man has appeared in court charged with the manslaughter of two teenage girls who died after they were hit by a car.

Samuel Etherington, 20, from Gosport, Hampshire, was remanded in custody after he appeared at Portsmouth Magistrate's Court today, having been charged by detectives on Wednesday evening.

The defendant spoke only to confirm his name, address and date of birth during the hearing, and no indication of plea was given. The case was adjourned until the next hearing at Winchester Crown Court tomorrow.

Police were called to Ann's Hill Road in Gosport at 4.15am on Sunday following reports that a green Honda Civic collided with two girls.

Jasmine Allsop, 14, died at the scene, while Olivia Lewry, 16, was taken to hospital but later died of her injuries.

Rosemary Allsop, Jasmine's mother, has described how she kissed her daughter goodbye after she was awoken by the emergency services at the scene of the collision outside of her home.

Ms Allsop, 37, said she had spent an evening in with the girls' before the incident.

She said: "I went out and then a neighbour covered me in a blanket. I kissed her - it was four hours before they took her body away because I did not want to let her go.

"I told her she was my angel and I'd loved her since the day she was born. I can remember her big blue eyes staring."

Ms Allsop, who also has a four-year-old child, said the death has left her "empty inside and lost" and said she keeps "expecting her to come through the door."

She added: "Jasmine was a gorgeous, lovely, bubbly character. They (Jasmine and Olivia) were best friends."

Additional reporting by Press Association