The tragic downfall of Channel 5 historian who caused pile up which killed a husband and wife: Acclaimed heritage consultant Ellen Leslie, 55, is jailed for more than two years …

• Ellen Leslie, 55, was the toast of wealthy homeowners and bestselling authors

By Richard Marsden[1] and Craig Mcglasson[2] and Rory Tingle[3]

Published: 17:14, 12 January 2024 | Updated: 18:33, 12 January 2024

As an acclaimed architectural historian, she appeared as an expert on a Channel 5[4] history documentary and helped research a bestselling book.

But Ellen Leslie has now seen her life fall apart after being sentenced to more than two years in jail for a ‘microsleep’ at the wheel which led to the deaths of a husband and wife[5].

The 55-year-old was once the toast of leading authors and wealthy clients who commissioned her to carry out research on their houses and family trees, while also establishing a reputation as a historical pundit consulted by the likes of Country Life and The Financial Times.

TV viewers may remember her from the popular documentary programme How The Victorians Built Britain, which she featured on in 2018 to share her expertise on Victorian industrial ice houses.

But all this came crashing down on one horrific day in May 2022, when a ‘microsleep’ she had at the wheel of her GBP20,000 Volkswagen T-Cross SUV saw her collide into an incoming lorry – causing a pile-up that killed husband and wife Steven and Christine Goodings.

The horror crash, which happened when she was driving her 21-year-old son Theo to London[6] from Edinburgh[7], saw her jailed for 28 months at Carlisle Crown Court yesterday having admitted two counts of causing death by dangerous driving.

Ellen Leslie, 55, was once the toast of wealthy clients who commissioned her to carry out research on their houses and family trees

But before punishment was passed, she listened from the dock with her head bowed and hands clasped as heartbreaking impact statements provided by the Goodings’ two sons, Steven junior, 40, and Gareth, 36, were read.

Steven recounted breaking the news of their mother’s death to his loved ones. ‘With this I lost something in me that I cannot explain, just a sense of emptiness that has yet to re-appear. To watch as you turn their lives upside down with a few seconds is not something you forget,’ he stated.

‘Over the next three weeks, family members were given hope that his dad would survive – only for it to be taken away time and again.

‘Whilst dad was still fighting for his life and we were travelling to see him every day, mam was almost forgotten about — or that is what it feels like,’ continued Steven. ‘I put all my energy trying to remain positive for dad in the hope that he would get better. I feel I wasn’t able to grieve for mam as dad needed me at that time and I still feel guilty that I treated her memory in that way.

My mam deserved better than this.

‘My parents’ life has been stolen from them and with them their dreams of spending the next chapter in their lives doing the things they had worked for together.

‘They had both planned on classing dad’s 60th birthday as his official retirement and had talked about travelling to places they never seen. A safari in Africa; renting a muscle car and driving America; maybe buying somewhere sunny where dad could ride his bike every day and mam could cook outside. But we’ll never know.

Leslie carried out property research for homeowners for their own personal interest or to support planning applications

‘After working non-stop for 44 years in mining, in factories, working 16-hour shifts so that we could have a holiday and want for nothing.

Dad deserved his well entered retirement. My mam had supported dad all through those years, brought me and Gareth up and worked hard all her life, too.

‘Again, this part of their life had been earned and now it’s been taken.’

A joint funeral was held after the tragedy for Steve and Chris, who were married almost 40 years and ‘did most things together’.

‘Lives stolen is the most appropriate term used when referring to how the collision has affected my family’s lives,’ said Steven.

‘Five weeks after my parents’ funeral, I was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia (blood cancer), and although there is no way of knowing, the stress of the collision, my dad’s fight for his life and the events afterwards could have caused this.’

‘In a period where I was trying to remain strong and helpful, I was now at my weakest and most vulnerable. The impact of not having my parents around me, my wife and children whilst I fought this illness is unmeasurable.

To try and deal with the fallout of my parents’ death whilst fighting cancer without the support, guidance and reassurance of them is a battle I still deal with daily.’

One of her most high-profile projects was looking into the architectural history of Cliveden House for Natalie Livingstone, author of The Mistresses of Cliveden

Steven added: ‘On 24th October, 2023, Ellen Leslie appeared at Carlisle Crown Court to plead guilty to the deaths of my parents by dangerous driving. The same day Ellen Leslie posted on lnstagram a building she liked in Carlisle, seemingly without a care in the world. Like she was on a city break.

‘Ellen Leslie’s actions have cost me my parents and my health.

The emotional debt this has caused me is catastrophic and I only hope that once this case is over my family and I can move on.

‘Although my parents are no longer here, I try to remember them for the people they were: kind, loving and hard working. I miss them so much but take comfort in that my last conversation with them was full of celebration and joy.’

Other social media posts by Leslie — who suffered serious multiple injuries in the crash and was detained in a hospital’s major trauma unit for five weeks — came to the attention of the Goodings’ other son, Gareth.

‘The defendant has quite literally ruined my life,’ he said in a statement. ‘I will never overcome this life sentence of grief.’

He added: ‘Whilst trying to navigate this new world order and my life as I now know it, I have had to endure further torment having been directed to the defendant posting disparaging public comments on social media — such as joking about not being able to go through airports any more without setting off the metal detectors — knowing that their actions have resulted in the death of my parents.

‘These comments made me physically sick and still do. How anyone can find humour having caused the death of two people and ruined countless lives is utterly deplorable.’

Leslie, partner of Oxford University professor, Dr Sloan Mahone, ran her own consultancy, Ellen Leslie Historical Research, through which she carried out property research for homeowners for their own personal interest or to support planning applications. [8]

She was also commissioned to look into the history of families, establish the provenance of artefacts and carry out research for authors.

One of her most high-profile projects was looking into the architectural history of Cliveden House for Natalie Livingstone, author of The Mistresses of Cliveden.

Ms Livingstone hailed her service as ‘flawless’, adding: ‘Your knowledge of architecture was so thorough and on a personal basis I loved working with you.’

Leslie dozed off while driving her youngest son Theo, 21, home to London from Edinburgh

She studied at the Architectural Association School of Architecture, where she obtained a postgraduate diploma in the Conservation of Historic Buildings.

The academic completed an MA in Historical Research at Birkbeck College in 2014 before graduating with honours in Politics, Philosophy and History.

She is a member of the Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain (SAHGB) and the Royal Historical Society (RHS).

Sentencing, Judge Nicholas Barker said the family of Mrs Gooding, 61, and her 60-year-old husband had suffered a ‘deep and profound’ loss.

He said: ‘This incident has ruptured and torn their lives for ever.’

Turning to Leslie, Judge Barker told her: ‘The court understands that you are not a bad person, though you have done a bad thing which has had truly devastating effects.’

The court heard the tragedy happened on a single carriageway section of the A66 near Warcop, Cumbria just before noon on Monday, 23rd May, 2022.

Video footage from a passing vehicle captured the shocking moment Leslie’s vehicle – heading east – drifted across double white lines and into lorry’s path.

The goods vehicle driver lost control and hit the Goodings’ Volkswagen Golf.

Prosecutor Peter Wilson said: ‘Both Christine Goodings and Steven Goodings tragically lost their lives as a result.’

There were gasps from the couple’s relatives as footage showing the shocking collision was played in court.

Leslie – a former Guardian of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings and who regularly writes about historical architecture newspapers and magazines – took no evasive action.

A police crash investigator concluded, there was no interaction by her with the controls of her car for five seconds before impact.

The prosecution said Leslie suffered a ‘microsleep’ – where people drift off for a few seconds when tired.

Afterwards, she told police she had ‘no idea’ why the crash occurred, saying she was ‘devastated’ and maintaining she had not been tired.

But Judge Barker concluded it was ‘highly likely’ that Leslie briefly fell asleep.

The day before, Leslie and Theo, 21, travelled more than 400 miles from her then home in Chiswick to Edinburgh.

She had woken at around 4am in London and made four planned stops on the way before reaching the Scottish capital.

There, she and her student son moved belongings in two trips from his university digs to a flat over several hours, finishing at 6pm.

She had messaged her partner, Dr Mahone, describing her ‘knackering day’.

Separately, she told her ex-husband it had been ‘hard work’.

Christine and Steven Goodings (pictured), were in the car behind Leslie, and died when the truck then ploughed into them

Leslie and her son ate a meal and stayed at Edinburgh’s Black Ivy Hotel from 8pm.

Receipts showed four 250ml glasses of wine were ordered but her son later told police he had not drunk alcohol[9].

Leslie went to bed at 9.30pm and slept until around 7am, although she woke[10] twice during the night.

Before she set out on the fateful drive, she claimed to have ‘felt absolutely refreshed’.

The court heard Leslie and Theo stopped for a McDonald’s breakfast in southern Scotland, with her drinking a coffee and shot of espresso.

Theo was asleep at the time of the crash.

Leslie, now of Bromley, South East London, accepted responsibility for the Goodings’ deaths, adding: ‘I’ll live with that for the rest of my life.’

She sat with her head bowed in the dock as statements were read by relatives of keen cyclist Steve Goodings, a mechanic and electrician, and retail worker Christine.

The couple, from Sunderland, had been married for almost four decades and ‘did most things together’, the court was told.

One of their two sons, also called Steven Goodings, 40, said the family’s world had been ‘turned upside down’, feeling ‘a ripple of grief, stress, worry, anger, confusion and loss that is still as fresh today as the day that I was given the news’.

Leslie was jailed for 28 months at Carlisle Crown Court having admitted two counts of causing death by dangerous driving

Mr Goodings added: ‘My parents’ lives have been stolen from them and with them their dreams of doing the things they had worked for together.’

He said Leslie – on the day she entered guilty pleas at the same court in late October – had posted on Instagram[11] about a building in Carlisle she liked, and was ‘seemingly without a care in the world, like she was on a city break.’

The couple’s other son, Gareth, 36, said his life was ‘destroyed’ on learning of the tragic crash.

He said: ‘Losing them both in these circumstances is incomprehensible. I will never overcome this life sentence of grief.’

Leslie must serve a five-year driving ban and pass an extended test before getting behind the wheel although is said to have no intention of ever driving again.

Tributes to the Goodings, who had two grandchildren, were also paid by friends in their close-knit local community where they helped organise parties and sports days.

Locals described them as a ‘cracking’ couple. One friend said: ‘If I ever wanted anything around here then Steven and Christine would always help.

‘The sports days we used to put on for the kids were great and they are happy memories.

The news was just so sad.’

Leslie must serve a five-year driving ban and pass an extended test before getting behind the wheel although is said to have no intention of ever driving again

References

1. ^ Richard Marsden (www.dailymail.co.uk)
2. ^ Craig Mcglasson (www.dailymail.co.uk)
3. ^ Rory Tingle (www.dailymail.co.uk)
4. ^ Channel 5 (www.dailymail.co.uk)
5. ^ fall apart after being sentenced to more than two years in jail for a ‘microsleep’ at the wheel which led to the deaths of a husband and wife (www.dailymail.co.uk)
6. ^ London (www.dailymail.co.uk)
7. ^ Edinburgh (www.dailymail.co.uk)
8. ^ Oxford University (www.dailymail.co.uk)
9. ^ alcohol (www.dailymail.co.uk)
10. ^ woke (www.dailymail.co.uk)
11. ^ Instagram (www.dailymail.co.uk)