Man cleared of boy death charge

Joshua Venn-Howells, three, died the day after he was knocked down

A driver cleared of causing the death of a boy by dangerous driving has been cleared of an alternative charge.

Darren Jenkins, 25, was driving through St Mellons, Cardiff, when his car hit Joshua Venn-Howells, who was three.

Mr Jenkins, from Roath in the city, drove off after the accident although he knew he had hit something and later gave himself into police.

A jury at Cardiff Crown Court found him not guilty of driving without due care and attention.

He was cleared of the dangerous driving charge on Monday.

Joshua died in hospital a day after being struck while playing at Willowbrook Drive in St Mellons, Cardiff last July.

Checking mirrors

The prosecution claimed Mr Jenkins was speeding and did not stop after hitting Joshua, who was "clearly visible".

The defendant said he was checking his mirrors, after spotting a car ahead which he thought may have been about to pull out, when he "felt a loud bang" on the right driver's side wheel.

He told the court: "I thought it could have been an animal, it could have been a person." He said he "panicked" and drove on to go home.

His father later persuaded him to go the police within half an hour of the incident, the court heard.

Mr Jenkins said he had felt "gutted" when he later learnt a boy had died.

Joshua was fatally injured on this section of Willowbrook Drive

Judge Stephen Hopkins said: "Joshua's mother believes that he and other children were playing safely in a secure garden.

"If his mother blames herself she should not do so as, in my opinion, it's almost impossible to be constantly aware of what children are doing.

"I express my personal sorrow for the family."

Mr Jenkins still faces a charge of failing to stop after an accident which will be dealt with by Cardiff magistrates later.

Joshua's mother Jodie Howells said she would campaign for better road safety to help prevent similar tragedies.

"We are going to keep campaigning for traffic-calming measures until something is done," she said.

"The road is two-and-a-half-miles long but there's nothing to slow cars down on it at all.

"If the road is narrowed and speed bumps are put in place it will make it much safer.

"At the moment, it's a death trap. I know of at least five incidents where people have been knocked down on that road in the last couple of years."

Three days after his death, Joshua's relatives, neighbours and friends carried out a 24-hour road block calling for traffic-calming measures.

Another blockade was held on Willowbrook Drive last weekend to mark the first anniversary of his death.