Drug driver who falsely claimed his girlfriend was hit-and-run victim jailed for nine years
Matthew DuPlessis, 35, has been jailed for nine years and three months for causing the death of his girlfriend, Charlotte Dodd, also 35, after initially claiming she had been killed by a hit-and-run driver. The case matters because DuPlessis's fabricated account misled police and paramedics at the scene and delayed the true circumstances of Ms Dodd's death from emerging, leaving her family without a full explanation even after his conviction.
DuPlessis, from Crewe, admitted causing death by careless driving while unfit through drugs and perverting the course of justice, following an incident in Congleton, Cheshire, in the early hours of 24 September 2023 after the couple had been arguing. Ms Dodd fell from his moving van and was fatally injured, but DuPlessis told witnesses, his parents and police that they had been walking after drinking and that a dark-coloured vehicle had struck her and fled, until an officer recognised his van from the scene. CCTV and forensic analysis showed the van crossing the centre line as he turned, with Ms Dodd exiting near a junction, though it remains unclear exactly how she came to leave the vehicle. Her family said in a statement that "no custodial sentence or punishment will ever be enough" given the unanswered questions surrounding her death.
- Matthew DuPlessis jailed nine years three months over girlfriend's death
- He falsely claimed a hit-and-run driver killed Charlotte Dodd, 35
- Family say full truth of her death remains unknown
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Matthew DuPlessis, 35, and Charlotte Dodd, also 35, were a couple from Crewe, Cheshire. In the early hours of 24 September 2023, following an argument, Ms Dodd fell from DuPlessis's moving van in Congleton and suffered fatal injuries. DuPlessis had taken drugs before driving.
Rather than tell the truth, DuPlessis told witnesses, his parents and the police that he and Ms Dodd had been walking after a night of drinking and that a dark-coloured vehicle had hit her and driven off. This account stood until a police officer recognised his van from the scene, prompting further investigation using CCTV and forensic evidence.
DuPlessis has now pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving while unfit through drugs, and to perverting the course of justice, by inventing the hit-and-run story. The case has drawn attention both because of the fabricated cover story and because some details of how Ms Dodd came to leave the vehicle remain unclear, leaving her family without a complete account of what happened.