Remembering Abi Eggleston: 'The daughter every parent would want and the sister every sibling would be fortunate to have’

This is Abi Eggleston – she was just 22-years-old when her life was cruelly cut short by a ‘selfish’ and ‘cowardly’ drink driver who left her for dead in the middle of the road.

As he jailed the man responsible for her death at Teesside Crown Court yesterday (March 2), Judge Francis Laird described Abi as “the daughter every parent would want and the sister every sibling would be fortunate to have”.

Abi was studying law at Durham University and was aiming to become a solicitor – she was an 'ambitious go-getter' with a true passion for life.

During the emotional hearing, several statements were read to the court by her family, which described the devastating impact her death has had on all those who knew and loved her.

Her mother Mandy said: “Abi set high standards for herself and was aiming to become a solicitor. She was only 22 and had such an exciting future planned for herself, her prospects were so good.

“All her hopes and dreams have been brutally and abruptly ended. We will never get to see her achieve her goals or witness her future life experiences. I had already bought my outfit in anticipation of her graduation, which will no longer happen.”

Her father, Andy, spoke of he and Abi’s shared love of fantasy football, and how it had been a constant connection between them.

“Our conversations were filled with banter, strategy discussions, and general excitement about the upcoming fixtures,” he said. “My love of football is now not just empty, but it has become painful. Every football result is another stab on what I have lost.

“Abi’s injuries were so significant it meant I never got the chance to hold her hand or say goodbye in person. The cruelty of that reality is compounded by the fact the only goodbye I was permitted was in the silence of the chapel of rest.

“Following the tragic events I will wonder every day, with the deepest sadness, what life she would have had and what happy events she would have experienced. I feel profound sorrow at the loss of her life and all the experiences that we would have shared.

“There is never a day that goes past in which I will not think of her and cling to the memories that I have. There is a hole in my heart that can never be filled.”

Abi’s sister, Jess, who was less than two years older than her, told the court how they had grown up more like twins than sisters.

“Up until October 26, 2025, I had no memories of a world where my sister, Abi, didn’t exist. With her being less than two years younger than me, she was all I had ever known,” she said.

“I am so privileged to have Abi as my sister. She was unequivocally kind, the sort of person who stayed up with me all night to help me complete an assignment when I had the flu, would defend those she didn’t know, and would be a comforting shoulder to anybody going through upset, irrespective of how she was feeling herself. She was hilarious, witty, fun, creative, and indisputably intelligent.

“She has always been my very closest person and the one I expected to go through my entire life with. One single phone call from my mum was all it took for this entire world to come crashing down.

“It haunts me to know that Abi, the kind of person who would regularly donate blood to try and prevent harm from occurring to others, was killed by someone who actively didn’t care that they were putting others at risk when they chose to drive dangerously. That behaviour is the complete opposite of everything Abi stood for.

“I have experienced a great deal of shock and denial in the aftermath. I kept imagining that Abi was going to show up at our door and reveal it had all been some kind of horrific mistake. However, when she did return home, but in a hearse, the reality that Abi would never again come and plonk herself down in my bedroom, or fill the house with the sound of her beautiful singing, slammed into me full force and floored me.

“I was supposed to walk down the aisle behind her at her wedding, not behind her coffin at her funeral when she’s 22-years-old.”

William, her partner of nearly three years, said: “She was not only my partner, but also my best friend. Abi was caring, adventurous, and had a remarkable sense of justice.

“Abi and I had many future plans. We both loved travelling and had spent much of the past two years exploring Europe together, hitting 17 different countries. We were planning a trip to Southeast Asia for this coming summer.

“We also had plans to get engaged this year. The present we shared and the future we planned no longer exists. My life was centred around us and the future we were building together. Every decision I made was intended to bring us closer together.

“Abi’s death has permanently altered the course of my life. The loss of our relationship and of the future we had planned has caused profound and lasting harm. This impact is not temporary or diminishing, it is ongoing and will remain with me for the rest of my life.”

Her grandparents said: “At only 22 years of age, Abi intertwined and touched the lives of so many people. She was a beautiful, talented young lady full of joy with a promising future ahead of her.

“All our worlds are so much the poorer without her in them. There will never be an anniversary, birthday, or Christmas that will ever be the same without her. Her warm heart is missed daily.”