Death-crash driver faces 'significant sentence'

Relatives of the victim shouted out as Ryan Williams, from Leeds, was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving.

The 21-year-old had denied the charge, claiming he could not remember the accident, but admitted the less serious charge of causing death by careless driving.

The jury at Leeds Crown Court returned a majority verdict after three hours of deliberations following a four-day trial.

The court was told Williams was driving a Vauxhall Vectra at "excess speed" when he lost control of the vehicle, mounted the pavement and struck 12-year-old Hannah Hudson, who was also known as Hannah Derrick.

Williams and the driver of a red Audi were trying to get in front of a lorry on a dual carriageway before the road turned into a single carriageway on the A650 in Morley, Leeds.

But Williams lost control of his car and hit Hannah as she walked to school on June 15 last year.

Judge Paul Hoffman bailed Williams while a pre-sentence report was prepared but warned him: "A significant sentence will follow."

Williams, of Ledbury Grove, Middleton, Leeds, will be sentenced on May 18 along with the driver of the Audi, who has admitted dangerous driving.

The court was told the moment of impact was caught on CCTV and showed Hannah being thrown into the air.

Williams got out of his vehicle and tried to resuscitate the youngster. He was in a distressed state and was asking people to help, the jury heard.

Van driver Michael Rollinson told the court he remembered witnessing the Audi accelerating up the road ahead of him as he drove to work.

"I just thought a bit of a boy racer, just racing up," he told the jury.