Hit and run driver who left Folkestone boy avoids prison

William Brown Jr died in December when he stepped onto the Sandgate Esplanade to collect a football and was hit by a van.

Transcript

00:00A suspended sentence for Stuart Powell.

00:03Fourteen weeks behind bars, but suspended for 12 months for the driver who hit 7-year-old

00:09William Brown Jr and fled the scene in Folkestone.

00:13Here he is, leaving court the day he pled guilty back in May.

00:17It was in December when William was playing in his garden and stepped out onto the road

00:21to collect his football.

00:23He was hit by Powell's van, which propelled him into another car.

00:27Despite all efforts to save him, he died there.

00:30Powell from St Mary's Bay fled the scene and would go on to tell the police he panicked

00:35when he called 999 the next day.

00:38William's mother, Laura, continues to campaign for tougher sentences and a 20mph speed limit

00:44in Sandgate Esplanade where William was hit.

00:46We're trying to do a petition to change the laws to extend hit and run sentencing so things

00:54like today wouldn't happen, it would be elevated to a crown court as opposed to a magistrate's.

01:00There's no sentence that would bring William back or, it's just, there's nothing really

01:06apart from that that could make a positive change, but you know, Stuart in prison wouldn't

01:11help anyone.

01:13What this can possibly do is shine a light on our justice system and how it needs reform

01:17and change needs to come sooner rather than later, no more children or adults need to

01:22be left for dead on our roads and this hopefully can shine that light.

01:27William's death rocked the local community, the whole county and even the country, with

01:32his funeral broadcast live on KMTV, thousands watched on.

01:38I love you and I will always carry you with me.

01:45His burial was signed off by the King himself and a visit from former Home Secretary James

01:50Cleverley to the ice cream parlour created in his memory.

01:54Rather than mourn him, we try and think of positive things that William would love.

01:59Today's Sports Day, his favourite day of the year, so it's very bittersweet, ironic that

02:04it's today, but I know that he'll be dancing somewhere in heaven, just cheering us on and

02:10wanting us just to keep on moving with positive steps only, that's what he would have wanted.

02:16Despite the devastation of losing their child, William's family have shown forgiveness and

02:22finally today, found some peace.

02:25Abbey Hook for KMTV in Folkestone.