Latest news with #ChristopherWest
The Sun
17-07-2025
- The Sun
‘Show-off' driver, 42, who ploughed into schoolgirl, 15, at crossing months after her life-saving transplant is jailed
AN "IRRESPONSIBLE show off" driver who killed a schoolgirl after hitting her at a pedestrian crossing has been jailed. Keely Morgan, 15, had been crossing the street in Caerau, Cardiff, at around 9.30pm on May 1, 2023, when she was hit by Christopher West, 42, just months after undergoing a life-saving kidney transplant. 4 4 4 The motorist had been driving over the 30mph speed limit in his Vauxhall Astra when he ploughed into the teenager, who tragically died at the scene. West had failed to see Keely at the crossing, despite her being lit up by an iPad she had been using. The driver, who was sentenced today at Cardiff Crown Court to 16 months in prison, had been travelling with his two daughters and their friend when he crashed into Keely. One of the passengers told police West had been "snaking" along the road and had removed his car's black box, which invalidated his insurance. The motorist had also showed off the fact he had removed it before causing Keely's death. West previously pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and causing death while uninsured. He had, however, claimed that the car's black box was disconnected after he was working on the car - and that he had forgotten to reconnect it. Despite also claiming that his driving had been normal, testimonies from his passengers countered these claims. At his sentencing today, West was branded as an "irresponsible show off" by judge Paul Hobson. He said: "Keely Morgan was just 15-years-old when she died on May 1, 2023. Horror moment car ploughs into pedestrian TWICE in front of onlookers as man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder "Keely died as a result of your actions, as a result of your careless driving that evening. "You should have seen her and come to a stop in order to allow her to cross. "Instead, you continued driving, oblivious to her, meaning that when Keely stepped into the road, you collided with her." The judge described Keely as a young woman who was part of a 'large family network', adding that her loss had 'devastated those who loved her'. While West had been described as "apologetic" and in a state of panic after the crash, the judge slammed this view. Hobson said: "Any remorse that you have is overshadowed by your attempts to minimise your level of responsibility, to the extent of challenging what your own passengers were saying. "Although you may well be sorry for what happened to Keely, a large part of your concern is for yourself." Not only was West handed a 16-month prison sentence but he was also disqualified from driving for two years and eight months. 'NO SENTENCE WILL EVER BRING HER BACK' Earlier this week at the trial, Keely's mum Sian Morgan paid an emotional tribute to her daughter in her victim statement. Sian said her daughter had been given a "second chance of life" aged 13 and had fought "so hard" to live a normal life. The tragedy of her "preventable" death will haunt her forever, she continued. Sian 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." The young girl's devastated parents described the tragedy as "beyond repair" and a loss they will carry for the rest of their lives. Her life mattered. Her death must mean something. Sian Morgan Sian said: "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." 4
Daily Mail
17-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Speeding 'show off', 42, who hit and killed 15-year-old schoolgirl on pedestrian crossing months after she received kidney transplant is jailed for 16 months
A speeding 'show off' driver who hit and killed a 15-year-old schoolgirl on a pedestrian crossing just months after she was given a life-saving kidney transplant has been jailed. Christopher West, 42, smashed into Keely Morgan on a pedestrian crossing in Caerau, Cardiff, at around 9:30pm on May 1, 2023, driving well over the 30mph limit. West failed to see Keely, despite her being brightly lit by the glow of an iPad she was using while crossing. The 15-year-old had battled severe health problems for years and undergone a kidney transplant in 2021 that had given her a new lease of life. At Cardiff Crown Court, disturbing details emerged about West's behaviour on the night of the crash. West's two daughters and their friend were passengers in the car. One witness told police that West had been 'snaking', weaving aggressively along the road, and had deliberately disconnected the car's black box, invalidating his insurance, and 'show off' to his young passengers. West initially tried to claim the black box was disconnected because he was working on the car and had simply forgotten to reconnect it. He also denied speeding and said his driving was normal. But the testimony of his passengers painted a very different picture, revealing reckless, dangerous behaviour that cost a young life. West pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and driving without insurance. 'This tragedy has shattered my family beyond repair and is a loss we will carry for the rest of our lives,' Keely's heartbroken mother Sian Morgan said in a statement read out to the court. Ms Morgan said Keely had been given a 'second chance of life' aged 13 when she received a kidney transplant. 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.' Her mother said 'no words' could describe the pain of losing Keely. '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 told West: '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.' Judge Paul Hobson branded West as an 'irresponsible show off' as he sentenced him today. 'Keely Morgan was just 15 years old when she died on May 1 2023,' he said. 'Keely died as a result of your actions, as a result of your careless driving that evening.' He added: 'You should have seen her and come to a stop in order to allow her to cross. 'Instead, you continued driving, oblivious to her, meaning that when Keely stepped into the road, you collided with her.' He said West would have been able to see Keely for between 130-150 meters before the collision, adding: 'Ultimately Keely was there to be seen.' The judge said police estimated West was travelling between 32-43mph but most likely at 37mph. He described Keely as a young woman who was part of a 'large family network' and her loss had 'devastated those who loved her'. The judge said it was 'plain' that West had been driving over the 30mph limit the road had at the time. West had been described as 'apologetic' and in a state of panic after the collision. But the judge said: 'Any remorse that you have is overshadowed by your attempts to minimise your level of responsibility, to the extent of challenging what your own passengers were saying. 'Although you may well be sorry for what happened to Keely, a large part of your concern is for yourself.' The judge handed West a 16-month prison sentence and disqualified him from driving for two years and eight months. As he was sent down, there were shouts of 'f*** off' and 'disgusting' from the public gallery.
The Independent
17-07-2025
- The Independent
‘Irresponsible show off' sentenced after killing schoolgirl crossing the road
An 'irresponsible show off' who killed a 15-year-old schoolgirl at a pedestrian crossing has been sentenced to 16 months in prison. Christopher West, 42, hit Keely Morgan with his Vauxhall Astra on Heol Trelai, Caerau, Cardiff at about 9.30pm on May 1 2023. She died at the scene. West, who was driving over the 30mph speed limit, failed to see the teenager, despite her being lit up by an iPad she had been using at the pedestrian crossing. Keely had overcome significant health problems ahead of her death, having undergone a kidney transplant in 2021 to save her life. Cardiff Crown Court heard that West's two daughters and their friend had been in the car during the incident. One of the passengers told the police West had been 'snaking' along the road and had removed his car's black box, invalidating his insurance, to show off to them. West, from Ely, previously pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and causing death while uninsured. However, the defendant initially claimed the car's black box had been disconnected while he was working on the car, and he had forgotten to reconnect it and his driving had been normal. His passengers said that was not correct. Judge Paul Hobson branded West as an 'irresponsible show off' at a sentencing hearing on Thursday. 'Keely Morgan was just 15-years-old when she died on May 1 2023,' he said. 'Keely died as a result of your actions, as a result of your careless driving that evening.' He added: 'You should have seen her and come to a stop in order to allow her to cross. 'Instead, you continued driving, oblivious to her, meaning that when Keely stepped into the road, you collided with her.' He described Keely as a young woman who was part of a 'large family network' and her loss had 'devastated those who loved her'. The judge said it was 'plain' that West had been driving over the 30mph limit the road had at the time. West had been described as 'apologetic' and in a state of panic after the collision. But the judge said: 'Any remorse that you have is overshadowed by your attempts to minimise your level of responsibility, to the extent of challenging what your own passengers were saying. 'Although you may well be sorry for what happened to Keely, a large part of your concern is for yourself.' The judge handed West a 16-month prison sentence and disqualified him from driving for two years and eight months. As he was sent down, there were shouts of 'f*** off' and 'disgusting' from the public gallery.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Yahoo
‘Irresponsible show off' sentenced after killing schoolgirl crossing the road
An 'irresponsible show off' who killed a 15-year-old schoolgirl at a pedestrian crossing has been sentenced to 16 months in prison. Christopher West, 42, hit Keely Morgan with his Vauxhall Astra on Heol Trelai, Caerau, Cardiff at about 9.30pm on May 1 2023. She died at the scene. West, who was driving over the 30mph speed limit, failed to see the teenager, despite her being lit up by an iPad she had been using at the pedestrian crossing. Keely had overcome significant health problems ahead of her death, having undergone a kidney transplant in 2021 to save her life. Cardiff Crown Court heard that West's two daughters and their friend had been in the car during the incident. One of the passengers told the police West had been 'snaking' along the road and had removed his car's black box, invalidating his insurance, to show off to them. West, from Ely, previously pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and causing death while uninsured. However, the defendant initially claimed the car's black box had been disconnected while he was working on the car, and he had forgotten to reconnect it and his driving had been normal. His passengers said that was not correct. Judge Paul Hobson branded West as an 'irresponsible show off' at a sentencing hearing on Thursday. 'Keely Morgan was just 15-years-old when she died on May 1 2023,' he said. 'Keely died as a result of your actions, as a result of your careless driving that evening.' He added: 'You should have seen her and come to a stop in order to allow her to cross. 'Instead, you continued driving, oblivious to her, meaning that when Keely stepped into the road, you collided with her.' He described Keely as a young woman who was part of a 'large family network' and her loss had 'devastated those who loved her'. The judge said it was 'plain' that West had been driving over the 30mph limit the road had at the time. West had been described as 'apologetic' and in a state of panic after the collision. But the judge said: 'Any remorse that you have is overshadowed by your attempts to minimise your level of responsibility, to the extent of challenging what your own passengers were saying. 'Although you may well be sorry for what happened to Keely, a large part of your concern is for yourself.' The judge handed West a 16-month prison sentence and disqualified him from driving for two years and eight months. As he was sent down, there were shouts of 'f*** off' and 'disgusting' from the public gallery.
BBC News
17-07-2025
- BBC News
Cardiff driver jailed for 16 months for killing teenager
A driver has been jailed for 16 months for killing a teenage girl as she crossed the West, 42, hit 15-year-old Keely Morgan with his car on Heol Trelai, Caerau, Cardiff, on the evening of 1 May 2023 and she died at the scene.A previous hearing heard West, from Ely, had been travelling at between 32mph (51 km/h) and 43mph (69 km/h) on a road with a 30mph had admitted causing death by careless driving and also death by driving without insurance after removing a black box in his vehicle which voided his policy. Judge Paul Hobson said victim impact statements read by Keely's family had made clear "how her loss has devastated those who loved her of who there were many".He said she was a "young woman who was part of a large family network" adding that "things were opening up for her after Covid and after her health difficulties".The court heard she had a kidney transplant in was swearing and a shout of "disgusting" as the 16-month sentence was given, with some members of Keely's family leaving the courtroom at Cardiff Crown had been using an iPad as she crossed the road, the light from which could be seen on Hobson said "ultimately Keely was there to be seen" and that West "should have seen her and come to a stop".The court heard evidence from the young passengers in West's car who said he had been " showing off" and "snaking" - steering the car from side to side."The picture of you which emerges is of an 'irresponsible show off'," Judge Hobson told West."Although you may well be sorry for what happened, a large part of your concern is for yourself."After the collision, West was said to be "apologetic" and "in a state of panic".Sentencing West, Judge Hobson said "the seriousness of this offence and the combination of aggravating factors" meant an immediate jail term was was sentenced to 16 months for causing death by dangerous driving and 11 month for causing death by driving while uninsured, to be served was also disqualified from driving for two years and eight months.
