Sian Morgan told Cardiff Crown Court how her ‘heart aches every day for my daughter’ as Christopher West, 42, appeared for sentencing after fatally hitting her at a pedestrian crossing
A “show off” driver hit and killed a schoolgirl who had undergone a life-saving kidney transplant just months prior.
Keely Morgan, 15, was pronounced dead at the scene in Caerau, Cardiff after being fatally mowed down by Christopher West, 42, at 9.30pm on May 1, 2023.
West pleaded guilty to causing Keely’s death at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court in May. The court heard how he’d been driving his two daughters and their friend, hitting speeds between 32 and 42mph on a 30mph road, when he hit the youngster at a pedestrian crossing.
Now, two years after the tragedy, Keely’s parents have revealed details of the medical procedure she had just undergone.
While in police custody, West underwent drug and alcohol tests – both of which came back negative.
He was granted conditional bail, which prohibited him from contacting Keely’s family, entering certain areas, and driving until his sentencing.
On Friday, he appeared at Cardiff Crown Court for sentencing. The court was told he’d been driving his Vauxhall Astra a “little fast” and had been “snaking” along the road.
According to her daughter, he’d been “showing off” at the wheel.
Defending the dad, Kevin Seal said West would have to deal with the remorse of killing the teenager for the rest of his life.
Keely’s mum Sian Morgan read out a heartbreaking statement at court, explaining how she’d been given a “second chance of life” after the operation when she was 13.
She added that she will forever be haunted by the tragedy of her “preventable” death.
In a victim statement, she said: “She fought so hard to have the opportunity to live a normal life and have the joys of being a teenager. She remained brave, courageous, and positive, but those dreams have been cruelly taken from her in an instant.
“She’ll never be able to finish school, go to university, follow her dreams, experience the joys and the milestones of life. She had so much love to give. She was truly an incredible person with promise and a future ahead of her.”
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Sian added: “Every day I wake up and relive a nightmare. Her loss ripples through every part of our lives. My heart aches every day for my daughter who I can no longer hug or see the incredible person she could have been. The world is a darker place without her. The trauma of losing her in a sudden, violent, but preventable way haunts us.”
She added: “This was totally avoidable. That one decision, that one moment, took everything from us. A pedestrian crossing is meant to protect people like Keely who was using the crossing appropriately as she had a right to do so but she was struck and killed.
“Her life was taken by the drastic failure of you and you alone. You had a duty to uphold fundamental safety laws of being safe while driving and you chose not to do so.
“She was an irreplaceable part of my life and her family loved her more than words can say. Her life mattered. Her death must mean something. No sentence will ever bring her back.”
West’s sentencing has been adjourned until July 17 at Cardiff Crown Court.
