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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Thomas Kingsley

Dad screamed ‘you just killed my son’ after watching driver ‘plough into newborn baby’s pram’

SWNS

A devastated dad screamed “you just killed my son” at an uninsured driver after watching him plough into his newborn baby's pram, a court heard.

James Paul Davis, 35, is accused of killing 18-day-old Ciaran Leigh Morris who was mown down on his first ever outing on Easter Sunday last year.

A court heard Davis was driving a BMW at 67mph in a 30mph zone moments before he smashed into the pram being wheeled by parents Camaron Morris and Codie Holyman on 4 April 2021.

Ms Holyman suffered a broken collar bone and a bruised foot in the crash and has constant back pain, the court heard.

Horrified witnesses desperately tried to revive the baby who died hours later in hospital from his injuries. Eyewitness Caine Edwards was walking with his friends on Brownhills High Street when the crash happened.

The trial of a man accused of killing a two-week old boy last Easter is held at Wolverhampton Crown Court (SWNS)

“I heard a bang and saw a car swerving towards us, the car hit the pram and hit the wall, I was in shock,” he told Wolverhampton Crown Court.

“I saw Camaron shouting: 'You just killed my son'.”

Another witness, tattooist Jenny Butler witnessed the crash, which was just metres from her shop, and saw the parents frantically tried to save Ciaran.

“I saw the BMW mow down pedestrians on the pavement and crush the pram containing the baby,” she said.

“I heard screaming. I saw the passenger try and exit the car, he was skinny, ginger and wearing a white T-shirt. Members of the public were screaming at him and he ran off."

Daniel Kennedy was a rear passenger in a white Ford B-Max, which was also struck by the BMW seconds before the fatal crash.

He told the court that he chased Davis down the street as Camaron and Codie desperately tried to save their baby son.

Mr Kennedy told jurors: "It felt like every second was a minute, I decided to run after the driver. I was running on adrenaline. I wanted to get a clear shot of his face on my phone.

“I got a clear shot of him (Davis) in Tesco car park. I saw him on his hands and knees and out of breath.”

James Paul Davis, is accused of killing Ciaran Leigh Morris by dangerous driving (SWNS)

Jurors heard Davis had been driving without insurance or a licence and had traces of cannabis in his system when he ploughed into Ciaran's pram.

Another witness, Dean Athersmith told the court how he heard Davis call his girlfriend after the crash and tell her he had “ran over a baby”.

He said: “I noticed a man running towards us.

“The man looked very rough, like he had been in a fight, he had blood running down his leg.

“He was big and kept on pulling up his T-shirt to show his belly.

“He said: 'I've just run someone over, I need to phone my missus, I am going to go down for a long time'.

“When he got off the phone I asked him why he left the scene he said: 'They after me'.

“It was like he wanted me to stay with him but I told him I had to go and he ran off.”

Baby Ciaran was being pushed along the pavement in his pram by family in High Street, Brownhills, at about 4pm on Easter Sunday last year (SWNS)

Police bodycam footage that was played to the jury shows James Davis telling PC Tom Rust that he had “blacked out” before the crash.

Davis said: “I weren’t even speeding or nothing. I blacked out. I ain’t killed no one on purpose.”

He added: “I was thinking I’d wake up in a minute. I heard the banging and that. When it all stopped, I was in the car and I thought what’s happening.

“I was surrounded by people.

“My mate said I was passed out behind the wheel.

“If I was speeding I would be in some state wouldn’t I? I accept I’m going to prison if somebody’s died.”

Davis, of Bloxwich, West Midlands, denies causing death by dangerous driving, causing death while uninsured and causing death by careless driving.

The trial continues.

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