Driver who hit teens pleads guilty

A MOTORIST who crashed into two moped riders and left a 16-year-old in a coma is today awaiting his sentence.

Steven Barwick pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and to having no insurance or driving licence following a collision in Ipswich on August 21, in which the brother of a former Ipswich Town player was seriously injured.

Kyle Knights, who suffered severe head injuries, a broken leg, two broken ribs, a broken collar bone and a bruised lung, has remained unconscious in hospital since the collision, which happened at the junction of Orford Street and Anglesea Road. The other teenager involved escaped with minor injuries.

He is the younger brother of former Blues player Darryl Knights.

South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court heard that Barwick, 30, sped along Anglesea Road at up to 60 miles per hour before colliding with two 16-year-old boys as they left the Orford Road junction on mopeds.

Lesla Small, prosecuting, said the crash happened at about 6pm in a 30 mile an hour residential area. She said various witnesses saw the teenagers waiting to leave the junction but it was one person on a mobile telephone who spotted Barwick driving a Mondeo car.

Ms Small said: “They noted to the person they were speaking to Barwick's speed. It was estimated to be 60mph in a 30 limit. The two boys came out and Steven Barwick came straight at them. Both boys landed on the windscreen. Both of the crash helmets came off due to the impact. Steven Barwick had no injuries.”

She added that Barwick's car was in poor condition especially the worn tyres.

Within hours of the crash, Kyle, who lives in the Pinewood area of Ipswich, was transferred from Ipswich Hospital to Addenbrooke's Hospital Cambridge where he spent four weeks in intensive care. Last week he was back being treated at Ipswich Hospital, still in a coma.

At the time, Darryl Knights travelled back to Ipswich from his duties with Yeovil Town FC to be with his family.

Deputy District Judge Holdhem told Barwick, of Marlow Road, Ipswich, that the offences were so serious that the case must go to Ipswich Crown Court for sentencing.

She said a date for that hearing would be set at a later stage and that he was disqualified from driving during in the interim.

Barwick was released from court on unconditional bail until then.

IN THE weeks after the crash, Kyle Knights parents' spoke about their ordeal following the horrific crash.

Kelvin and Maria Knights maintained did not return home for five weeks while they anxiously waited by his hospital bedside.

The couple, who live in the Pinewood area of Ipswich, anxiously watched over their youngest son around the clock in the hope that he would wake up and begin the slow road to recovery.

The former Chantry High School pupil was due to start a plumbing course at Suffolk New College in September.

At the time, Mr Knights said: “We've stayed by his side all this time and never left. We've both had to take time off work and we've put our lives on hold because we don't want to leave him.

“We can't leave his side because we don't know when he will wake up and we want to be there when he does. It's like we're waiting for him to wake up so we can end our nightmare.”

Mrs Knights said Kyle had celebrated his birthday on the Sunday before and passed his scooter test on the Monday.

She described how it felt to have a knock on the door from a policeman who told them that Kyle had been in an accident.

She said: “It's very difficult to explain what we were feeling. I've never felt anything like it. You're just full of dread and anticipation you're at a really high pressure point. When we got to Ipswich Hospital we couldn't see him and we had to wait around. You've got all those emotions pumping through your body the whole time.”

The same evening Kyle was transferred to the neuro-critical care unit at Addenbrooke's where he underwent a nine hour operation to make him stable Since then he has also had surgery to relive pressure in his head and to remove a blood clot.

Mrs Knights said: “He's now back at Ipswich and although still in a coma we think he's doing well. It's a long drawn out process and it will be hard work. You have to teach the body to do things again. That's what takes the time.”