A man from Crewe has been jailed after admitting causing the death of his girlfriend in Congleton.

Matthew DuPlessis was sentenced at Chester Crown Court on Friday (August 28) after previously pleading guilty to causing death by careless driving while unfit through drugs and perverting the course of justice.

The 35-year-old was jailed for nine years and three months.

The court head that DuPlessis and his girlfriend, Charlotte Dodd, 35 had spent the day in Blackpool on September 23, 2023. After returning to the Congleton area, neighbours heard the couple arguing later that night.

At around 1.30am, the pair left Dodd's address together in DuPlessis' van and continued arguing as they drove around Congleton.

On Padgbury Lane, Dodd left the van while it was still moving. She struck the carriageway and suffered fatal injuries.

A man driving along Padgbury Lane stopped after seeing Dodd lying in the road, with DuPlessis sitting on the grass verge behind her. DuPlessis told the driver it had been a hit-and-run. The witness immediately called 999 and began CPR.

Detective Chief Inspector Dave Hutcheon, of Cheshire Police's Major Investigation Team, said DuPlessis told multiple witnesses at the scene, including his own parents, members of the public, paramedics and police officers, that he and Dodd had been walking along Padgbury Lane after being out drinking.

DuPlessis claimed Dodd had been dancing in the carriageway and that, while he had his back turned to urinate in a bush, a dark-coloured vehicle struck Dodd and fled the scene.

DCI Hutcheon said: "We launched a fail to stop investigation at the scene, and the defendant was treated as a witness and later allowed to leave with his parents."

However, an officer from the Roads and Crime Serious Collision Unit attended the scene to investigate and recognised DuPlessis' name, as well as the fact that he drove a small white van similar to the one parked at the scene.

Enquiries confirmed the van was registered to DuPlessis, and officers attended his address to arrest him on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. DuPlessis was also arrested after failing a roadside drug screening test.

In 2024, DuPlessis pleaded guilty to driving with excess cocaine in his body in relation to the incident. He was handed a three-year driving disqualification and ordered to pay associated costs.

Meanwhile, the investigation into Dodd's death continued as officers worked to establish what had happened.

In a police interview, DuPlessis admitted that near Congleton High School, Dodd had threatened to jump out of the vehicle. He said he stopped the van, but Dodd did not get out, so he drove on.

According to police, Dodd threatened to jump out a further four or five times.

DuPlessis refused to say how Dodd eventually came to leave the van, but a detailed forensic investigation helped officers piece together what happened.

Calculations of the van's speed from Congleton High School and along Padgbury Lane gave an average speed of 32mph. CCTV captured the vehicle travelling along Padgbury Lane.

The first cameras showed the vehicle's interior was in darkness. However, as it passed a third camera, the interior was illuminated by a downward light, indicating that the interior light was switched on rather than a mobile phone being used.

CCTV also showed that the driver's door was not open, while the interior light indicated the passenger door was open. The van continued for a further 195 metres at an average speed of 19mph.

Forensic analysis showed the van was over the centre line of the carriageway when DuPlessis attempted to turn left into Arnside Avenue. It was at the junction of Padgbury Lane and Arnside Avenue that Dodd left the vehicle.

DCI Dave Hutcheon added: "It hasn't been determined how Charlotte came to leave the van.

"The defendant overshot the junction causing him to perform an emergency stop. He then reversed and parked his van on Arnside Avenue and went to Charlotte. He then concocted his story to cover up that he was responsible for her death."

DCI Hutcheon said the investigation had uncovered inconsistencies in DuPlessis' account.

He added: "His lies were caught out by the roads policing officer and the detailed forensic analysis of his movements led to him having no option but to plead guilty.

"His actions tragically led to Charlotte's death and changed her family's life forever. Our hearts go out to them as they navigate the rest of their lives trying to cope with the devastating loss of someone they loved very much."

Following sentencing, Dodd's family said they had experienced "turmoil, uncertainty and heartbreak" surrounding the circumstances of her death, while also watching her two young daughters try to come to terms with losing their mum.

They said: "Today marks the end of a three-year journey through a police investigation and legal process that has changed our family lives forever.

"We would like to thank everyone who has worked on and contributed to the police investigation. We admire the determination and the tireless efforts made to consider every possibility and to get to the truth, in a very difficult case.

"We would also like to thank our family and friends for the comfort and support they have provided. You need to know it made a difference.

"It has taken so long to reach a Crown Court sentence hearing. Due to the lies and deception by one person from the very beginning, thereby perverting the course of justice, we still do not know the full truth of what really happened to Charlotte.

"There are no witnesses. There are some questions that remain unanswered, and we will have to live with those questions for the rest of our lives."

They said that while justice had now been served, they did not believe the sentence reflected the "enormity" of what had been lost.

They said: "Charlotte has not been able to live her best life because one person has senselessly taken that life way, stolen her future. For us, no custodial sentence or punishment will ever be enough.

"Charlotte was deeply loved, is deeply loved and she always will be. She was the light of our lives. She was independent, smart, and creative. She always chose to see the best in people and would encourage everyone to be the best version of themselves every day.

"Her life was so much more than the circumstances of her death, and she will never be forgotten.

"We now ask for privacy as our family begins to process the end of this chapter and we try to find a way to rebuild our lives without Charlotte."