THE harrowing and heartbreaking story of how four-year-old Violet-Grace Youens was killed by a hit-and-run driver will feature on ITV show Judge Rinder Crime Stories on Wednesday.
Violet-Grace, from Eccleston, died on Saturday, March 25, 2017 after being struck by a stolen car on Prescot Road on Friday, March 24. The Ford Fiesta was travelling in excess of 70mph in a 30mph zone.
The car had been through two red lights before it lost control and hit a kerb before colliding with Angela French, who was crossing the road with her granddaughter, Violet, in her arms.
The four-year-old died a day later and the incident left Mrs French with life-changing injuries and in hospital for many weeks.
Violet with her parents Glenn and Becky and little brother Oliver
Violet-Grace's parents Glenn and Becky Youens, both 31, who also have a son Oliver, three, shared a post on Instagram in which they explained it took them a year to make the difficult decision to take part in the programme.
They said: "It took a year of deciding whether to take part in this or not, however as a family, we thought it best to share our story and emphasise the injustice we have all felt.
"We strongly believe tougher sentences are required for death by dangerous driving.
"While Violet has a life sentence, we too are suffering with the life sentence of day to day life without her here.
"Meanwhile the two responsible will be out in a shorter time than Violet was alive."
The programme, which will air at 2pm on Wednesday, January 9, will tell how following the fatal crash, both the driver and passenger in the car fled the scene, running past injured Violet on the floor.
Driver Aidan McAteer, then 23, boarded a plane to Amsterdam within hours of the collision only returning to the country when his mum made an appeal for him to come back via Merseyside Police.
In May 2017, McAteer was sentenced to nine years and four months and the passenger, Dean Brennan, then aged 27, was jailed for six years and eight months after admitting the aggravated taking of a vehicle and assisting an offender.
It will also say that Violet's story did not stop at her death, as the little girl went on to save two lives by becoming an organ donor.
Since then a charity has been established in her name – Violet-Grace's Gift – to promote organ donation, help local hospitals, community projects, bereaved parents and seriously ill children.
Both McAteer and Brennan had time added to their sentences for being caught posting images online from jail.
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