A six-year-old girl died after a reckless driver mounted the pavement and hit the youngster, who was walking hand-in-hand with her dad. John Owen has been told he is facing prison after he admitted to colliding with Sharlotte-Sky Naglis.
At court yesterday, Owen pleaded guilty to killing Sharlotte by dangerous driving on June 19 last year. A psychiatrist had been instructed to assess Owen’s fitness to plead ahead of the hearing.
The 45-year-old, from Stoke-on-Trent, was told it was “inevitable” that he would now be jailed. Judge Graeme Smith said the situation was a “particularly tragic case,” reported StokeonTrentLive.
Judge Smith said: “You have pleaded guilty. You will receive the appropriate credit for pleading guilty without a trial.
“The guilty plea will come as a relief to members of Sharlotte’s family, without doubt. Cases of this nature are tragic, and this is a particularly tragic case for a number of reasons.
“You will be sentenced on October 4. It is inevitable that you will receive a custodial sentence, the only issue is how long that sentence will be.” According to Mirror Online, Owen was granted bail until October 4, and Judge Smith ordered a pre-sentence report.
Sharlotte-Sky loved gymnastics and wanted to become a doctor when she grew up, reported the Daily Express. Speaking after the tragedy last year, headteacher of St Anne’s Primary School in Brown Edge, Edward Hobson reportedly said: “Sharlotte touched everyone’s hearts with her personality and beautiful smile.
“As a school, we have discussed what we most remember about Sharlotte and undoubtedly agreed it was her love for life and happy, loving nature. We want to make sure that Sharlotte is never forgotten at St Anne’s and wanted a long-lasting memorial for pupils and staff now and in the future to reflect on what Sharlotte brought to school and the happiness that she brought to everyone.
“Children and staff have planned a lovely redevelopment of our little library which we would like to rename ‘Sharlotte’s Smile’ in her honour. We hope this will impact generations to come and ensure that Sharlotte’s legacy is never forgotten.”
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