VAN-HORROR TEENAGER LOCKED UP FOR A YEAR
A TEENAGER has been locked up for a year after ploughing into a toddler with a stolen van during a police pursuit.
The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, hit Leo Durrington, three, with such force the tot was ripped from his mother’s grasp and thrown 55ft across a car park. Leo was left fighting for his life after the hit-and-run in Leigh in October.
His long-term prognosis is not fully known – as he cannot yet walk or eat – and there may be ‘cognitive issues,’ Wigan Youth Court heard.
The defendant’s grandmother, who accompanied him to court, gasped and put her head down as shocking CCTV footage was shown of the crash. Leo, who is still in hospital, is seen clasping his mother’s hand before the speeding Ford Transit Connect mounts the pavement and catapults the child across a pub car park before his mother dashes to kneel beside him and the van drives away.
The 16-year-old, at the time on bail for assault and motoring offences, drove off and later told officers who came to arrest him: “I was going to hand myself in after watching Love Island.”
Leo’s mother wept as the teenager was given a 12-month detention and training order after admitting at an earlier hearing to causing serious injury by dangerous driving on October 30.
In a victim impact statement, she said: “The awful image of the van coming towards us, seeing our baby hit by the van and seeing his body hit the floor. I really thought my boy had gone. As a parent, how do you deal with seeing that?
“I’m completely heartbroken by it all. I can’t forget the image of my little boy lying on that hospital bed.”
The van had been stolen on October 29 before the teenager picked up another boy, aged 15.
They were spotted in the vehicle driving around Leigh at about 10.30am the following day, Beth Pilling, prosecuting, told the court.
It was followed by a police car, but ‘reacted’ by speeding up to 50 or 60mph and overtaking vehicles.
Passing sentence, District Judge Mark Hadfield, who also banned the teenager from driving for fiveanda-half years, said: “What then happened was the most tragic footage one could wish to see.
“The young boy, forced out of the hand of his mother and cast into the car park of the public house.
“Only a custodial sentence is appropriate.”
The driver also admitted failing to stop for police, failing to stop after a collision, driving without a licence, driving without insurance and a handling charge for the stolen van for the offences on October 30. Kevin Liston, defending, said: “His remorse is visible in open court today.”
The passenger was given a 12-month referral order after admitting being carried in a stolen vehicle.