William Brown, seven, died at the scene near Folkestone, in Kent, after he was propelled into the air during a fatal collision and was then struck by a second car
A hit-and-run van driver has pleaded guilty after his vehicle fatally struck a seven-year-old boy who ran into the road to retrieve a football.
LWilliam Brown was propelled into the path of a second vehicle after van driver Stewart Powell, 49, fatally struck him on the Sandgate Esplanade, near Folkstone, Kent, on December 6 last year. Instead of stopping, Powell fled while William died at the scene.
He then went to work the following day and called police 24 hours after the fatal collision following an appeal for information by William’s parents. Powell admitted in his first police interview that he smoked cannabis on the day before the collision.
Powell today at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court admitted to driving his van without third-party insurance as well as failing to stop at the scene. MailOnline reported prosecutor Dylan Bradshaw told the court that after the crash “the defendant stopped, got out of the van, saw this boy that was effectively dying in the road and got back in the van and drove off.”
Bradshaw added: “Almost 24 hours went past and the police received a call and that turned out to be Mr Powell.” The prosecutor continued, and said William was “propelled” into the path of a Red Citroen, behind the van, being driven by Rebecca Clayton.
Chief magistrate Kathrin Warren told Powell, of St Mary’s Bay, in Kent: “I know this is a very sensitive case and has a lot of attention. You have also pleaded guilty to both matters and we have decided to adjourn the case for an all-matters report to be prepared.”
Powell was granted unconditional bail and was given an interim driving ban. Outside court, Powell’s mother Laura said the family forgave Powell despite their grievances with the charges Powell received.
She said: “I just feel that it’s really inappropriate to be in this court given the severity of the case. But this is the law as it stands. I was hoping for more serious charges. And with the aggravating features I think it should have been dealt with at Crown Court. That’s why we’re hoping for change. We would like an amendment to the law which would allow cases like this to be elevated to the Crown Court.”
“As a family, we forgive Stewart,” Laura added. “He made some very poor choices before and after the incident.”
Hundreds of people attended William’s funeral in January. Following family appeals, King Charles granted permission for William to be buried at his local church in Folkestone, even though it was no longer being used for burials