Operation Barb senior investigating officer Detective Superintendent Dick Pearson of the Hampshire Major Investigation Team (HMIT) said:
Samuel Etherington behaved with total disregard for the lives of two teenage girls on the night of November the third last year.
His dangerous actions behind the wheel led to the deaths of Jasmine Allsop and Olivia Lewry – a tragedy for which Mr Etherington has admitted his guilt.
We’d like to thank the families of Jasmine and Olivia for their immense courage throughout this exceptionally traumatic case. Our thoughts remain with the next-of-kin.
The community felt a deep sense of shock over the loss of two well-known popular girls whose memories prompted profound expressions of grief from the public.
Police are grateful to many community leaders and organisations for their co-operation and support in helping people come to terms with the tragedy and pay their respects to Jasmine and Olivia.
Hampshire Constabulary would also like to recognise the diligence of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in bringing a complex case before the courts.