On July 6, 2023, Claire Freemantle lost control of her Land Rover while driving near Wimbledon Common, crashing through the fence of The Study Prep school and into the school hall. The crash occurred during an end-of-term picnic or tea party at The Study Prep school in Wimbledon, where Year Three pupils and parents were present. Two eight-year-old girls, Selena Lau and Nuria Sajjad, died as a result of the crash. The incident left 16 people treated for injuries, with 12 taken to hospital, and prompted a massive emergency response involving 15 ambulances and 35 police cars.
Claire Freemantle is an investment banker's wife and mother-of-three who lives in a £4 million mansion in Wimbledon. Following the crash, Freemantle claimed she suffered an undiagnosed epileptic seizure during the incident and had no recollection of it. She was later diagnosed with epilepsy, according to multiple reports. Freemantle expressed her 'deepest sorrow' over the deaths. She was arrested on the day of the crash but initially faced no criminal charges from the CPS.
I have no recollection of the incident and was told I had an epileptic seizure.
The CPS declined to file criminal charges against Freemantle in 2024 but is now revisiting that decision. The Metropolitan Police reopened its investigation into the crash in October 2024 following an internal review. Freemantle was re-arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. She is currently on bail and will report to a police station later in April, according to a police statement.
The CPS received a new dossier of evidence from detectives in March 2025 and is weighing a legal opinion submitted on April 7, with a verdict expected by the end of April. Eleven Met Police officers are being investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct over their handling of the original inquiry. The IOPC investigation will examine whether officers provided false and misleading information to the victims' families and whether their treatment of those affected was influenced by race.
I would like to express my deepest sorrow for the tragic loss of life.
The families of the victims have claimed there was 'unconscious bias' or 'confirmation bias' in the investigation due to Freemantle being white. The families were unconvinced the initial investigation was conducted thoroughly. Four serving officers, including a commander, detective chief inspector, detective sergeant, and detective constable, are under investigation for gross misconduct, along with one former detective constable. Two detective constables are also being investigated at misconduct level.
The Met's internal review found the original probe failed to interview key witnesses about the driver's behavior after the crash. The families are due to meet with the CPS for an update. The case has drawn significant attention due to the tragic loss of young lives, the subsequent investigations into police conduct, and the ongoing legal uncertainty surrounding the driver's culpability. The specific contents of the new evidence dossier and the exact nature of the legal opinion remain undisclosed, while Freemantle's current medical status regarding her epilepsy diagnosis is unknown.
We were unconvinced the initial investigation was conducted thoroughly.