Man 'fed up' with children playing on drive, jailed after running over and killing neighbour's son

A man who ran over and killed his neighbour's five-year-old son after becoming "fed up" with children playing on his driveway has been jailed for two years.

David Cowell, 42, killed neighbour Riley Ferguson, while he pulled his car onto the drive he shared with the boy's family in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.

Aylesbury crown court heard how Cowell, who had previous convictions for drink-driving, knocked down Riley while he was trying to scare a 10-year-old schoolgirl from playing on his drive.

Cowell was jailed and disqualified from driving for five years. He was found guilty last month of causing death by careless driving.

Riley died of head and neck injuries in a hospice days after the 7 July, 2015, collision.

Cowell had denied the charge of causing death by careless driving but was convicted by a majority verdict.

Judge Francis Sheridan said: "This young boy lost his life because the defendant was fed up with the young kids playing on the driveway."

"It is my view that the defendant wanted to make a point to the girl, he was focusing on her, trying to get as close to her as possible.

"Because of that he came close to her and was not looking out for Riley who was there to be seen.

"He wanted to make a point to say 'get off my drive'.'

He added: "His (Riley's) life was snuffed out by this piece of appalling driving, and it was appalling driving."

Earlier a 10-year-old witness who cannot be named for legal reasons described the collision to the court.

She said: "Our next door neighbour was driving down the hill and he didn't see Riley but he saw me because I was standing up. Riley was sitting down.

"He went over Riley. He got out the car and put Riley on the grass.

"His mum was screaming and Riley was bleeding out of his face and nose. His dad carried him over to his front lawn and he wasn't breathing."

After the sentence was announced, the boy's mother, Grazyna Ferguson, told reporters.

"Nothing is going to bring our boy back.

"No custodial sentence, no trial, nothing – that could be easily avoided from the very beginning if the acceptance for the actions had been admitted.

"We wouldn't have to be here."