A police officer who caused a teenage boy to be left in a 'vegetative' state after crashing into him while responding to an emergency has been jailed. PC Sarah De Meulemeester, 26, drove at speeds of up to 61mph on 30mph roads in wet conditions through Stockport on Boxing Day 2020.
Liverpool Crown Court heard how De Meulemeester, who was not authorised by Greater Manchester Police to travel at excess speeds, was also going the wrong way around a traffic island. It followed a 'grade one' emergency when officers were told a suspect was carrying a knife.
De Meulemeester crashed into then-15-year-old pedestrian Khia Whitehead on Garners Lane in Adswood, leaving him paralysed and with catastrophic brain injuries. At a sentencing in Liverpool today (May 19), the court heard emotional impact statements from members of Khia's family.
