JAILED: Unlicensed speeding driver caused death of Jack, 13

Liam Wilson, of Livingstone Street, Ashton-in-Makerfield, was jailed today at Bolton Crown Court today (September 3) after pleading guilty to causing the death by dangerous driving of former Hope Academy pupil Jack Worwood.

The court heard that Wilson was driving at approximately 58 miles per hour on a 20 miles per hour stretch of road on Old Road in Ashton-in-Makerfield at around 4.30pm on Tuesday, July 7.

Wilson was driving a silver Jaguar X Type at high speed in a north westerly direction and approached a blind bend, causing him to lose control and mount the nearside pavement where 13-year-old Jack, who had lived in Newton-le-Willows, was walking.

The teenager was on his way to play football and was struck by the Jaguar being driven by Wilson, sustaining serious injuries. Jack was on his phone to his grandmother and was walking to meet friends at around 4.30pm.

Andrew and Catherine Worwood, parents of their "amazing, clever and funny" son, later went looking for him to find paramedics battling to save his life on the street in Old Road, Ashton-in-Makerfield, near Wigan.

A day later he died in their arms in hospital after they were told the catastrophic head and chest injuries he suffered were not survivable and his life support machine was being switched off.

Wilson, in trouble with police since the age of 10 with 14 previous convictions, ran off but was arrested the next day.

He admitted at an earlier hearing causing death by dangerous driving and was jailed for four years for causing death by dangerous driving, disqualified from driving for over five years and ordered to take an extended retest on his release from prison.

Passing sentence Judge Graeme Smith said: "The main cause of this collision was your greatly excessive speed.

"You should never have been driving in the first place."

Outside court relatives of the deceased clashed with those of the defendant, one woman shouting: "Four years is nothing!

"You have never shown any remorse, I hope you all rot in f****** hell!"

Earlier, victim impact statements were read in court from Jack's parents, saying their son, who had a brother and sister, was exceptional at maths and had his heart set on going to university to become an accountant.

Mr Worwood's statement said he attended the crash scene trying to find his son.

"I then realised it was my Jack they were desperately trying to save."My amazing, funny, clever boy.

"I was told to expect the worst.

"I felt numb, empty, physically sick."

A day later hospital consultants told the family Jack's life could not be saved.

The statement added: "I can never forgive you for this.

"We sat there with him until the end, the machine turned off and watched him finally slip away from us.

"You killed my son and I will never forgive you.

"You will have your life, my son will never have his."

Jack's mother, Catherine Worwood's statement said: "I don't think I will ever heal from this.

"He killed my son and left him for dead."

Rob Hall, prosecuting, told the court Wilson, who was under investigation for a street brawl at the time of the crash, had bought the car, an old style Jaguar X type vehicle, three days before for £250, but it had no MoT and no insurance.

Wilson was on his way back from a trip to KFC doing 58mph on a blind bend when he lost control and instead of braking tried to steer as the car "fishtailed" before the vehicle ploughed into other parked cars and hit Jack walking on the pavement.

In a statement around the time of the collision, the family of Jack Marcus Worwood said: “You only had to meet Jack once, and you knew Jack.

“He was a rascal, but a sweet little rascal - cheeky, loving and soft hearted. You could never be mad at him for long, as he’d soon have you laughing and kissing him again.

“He loved football, playing on his PlayStation and doing maths at school. He aspired to be an accountant and we knew he’d have done it, he was so bright.

“He will be greatly missed by all his family and friends. He was such a character; so adorable.

“Love you so much Jack - from dad, step-mum Tracy, step-sister Caitlyn-Marie, mum, step-dad Lee and big brother Connor."

Floral tributes to Jack were left at the scene

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Neil Ronan, mitigating, said Wilson, who has learning difficulties, had an "appalling" upbringing, with a heroin addict mother, who died last week, and no one to curtail his wayward behaviour.

He is riven with guilt and remorse," he added.

Sergeant Darren Hancock, senior investigating officer, from GMP's Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: "Wilson's dangerous driving has left a family devastated and our thoughts remain with them.

"Whilst we welcome a custodial sentence, it is a timely reminder that driving in such a manner that Wilson did will not be tolerated. The law on the roads is imposed to prevent collisions like these."