A dad has said his life "changed forever" when he received a call to say his daughter was not breathing after she was deliberately hit by a car. Rebecca Steer, 22, who dreamed of being a detective, was in her last year of at Liverpool John Moores University when she was hit by the Volvo.
She suffered catastrophic internal injuries, including multiple rib fractures, and died in hospital. The driver of the Volvo, Stephen McHugh, 28, who used to live in Fazakerley, Liverpool, mounted the pavement and used his vehicle as a "battering ram" and treated pedestrians "like they were human skittles".
He has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 18 years after being convicted of murder and attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent. The incident happened outside a takeaway in Willow Street, Oswestry, on October 9th last year, the Echo reports.
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Rebecca's dad described in his statement read at Stafford Crown Court the moment the family was told Ms Steel had been injured. He said: "I heard the words 'get to town as fast as you can, Becky's been knocked down and she's not breathing'. That's when our lives changed forever. I am unable to express how I or my family feel.
"The way in which Becca was taken from us was such an abhorrent attack we will never recover from the loss. Six months on and I can't comprehend it has happened. She will never be the detective she was desperate to be, she will never marry, she will never have children.
"We will never be a family again, nothing will be the same again. There is a void in our family and our beautiful Becca will never be replaced."
Rebecca's mum said her death has left a "forever void". She added: "She had a future full of potential. She was the most loving, talented and kind hearted person you could have wished to have known.
"Becca was the one you never had to worry about. She was so wise and grounded. She was sensible and always looked after others.
"I didn't know any person that knew her that didn't like her. Becca's death has left a forever void in our lives.
"There are no words to express the pain and suffering we have and continue to undergo. Those few seconds of madness have hurt us forever, whatever judgement is passed our pain won't end."
Kyle Roberts, 18, was also injured during the incident and McHugh was sentenced to four and a half years in prison to run concurrently after being found guilty of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent. In his statement, Mr Roberts said he visits Rebecca's grave most days and frequently feels "depressed and low".
Mr Roberts said: "The first couple of weeks I couldn't walk because of my injuries, however even if I could have I wouldn't have left home. I would see lots of cars outside and feel instantly scared. I had to take time off college and work because of how I was feeling.
"As time has passed I don't feel this has improved, although I have gone back to college and work. I have panic attacks and regular sleepless nights.
"I have had huge issues with my short-term memory, I regularly don't recall what I have been told or what I have done. I frequently feel very depressed and low and this hasn't improved, if anything I would say it has worsened.
"Physically the initial injuries were soft tissue and nerve damage to my arm, this has improved although I now suffer with a great deal of pain in my back. I've seen an osteopath however progress is very slow.
Passing sentence, Mr Justice Andrew Baker said McHugh had reacted to verbal abuse directed at his erratic driving by treating pedestrians "like they were human skittles".
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