No blame on driver over boy's death

Aug 24 2006 By Steve Johnson, Birmingham Mail

THE driver of a car which struck and killed a seven-year-old boy in Smethwick had no chance of taking avoiding action, an inquest heard.

Little Dexter Watts, of Devonshire Road, Smethwick, ran out from between parked cars and a line of queueing traffic into the path of a Vauxhall Vectra in High Street, on August 30, 2004.

A number of witnesses claimed the car was being driven by 29-year-old Sarjit Sahota, whose wife Sonia, aged 27, and her sister Salochana, 25, all of Mushroom Hall Road, Oldbury, were also in the car.

All three were jailed for nine months last November for attempting to pervert the course of justice. They had claimed it was Sonia who had been driving and not Sarjit.

The three of them walked free in April after their convictions were quashed following an appeal hearing at Birmingham Crown Court. Judges decided their convictions had been unsafe.

When questioned by Black Country Coroner Robin Bal-main over the claims that he had been driving the car, Sarjit Sahota told the inquest at West Bromwich that he was sitting behind the driver's seat and his wife Sonia was at the wheel.

Sonia, who said she was the driver, said she had been shopping with her sister on the day of the tragedy.

She said she did not see the boy before the collision occurred and did not know where he came from.

She said fragments of glass from the windscreen had been found in her hair and clothing and none had been found on her husband.

Mr Balmain, who recorded a verdict of accidental death, said Dexter had been playing football and the driver would have had no opportunity of taking avoiding action.

* Have your say on this story at www.birminghammail.net/news/yoursay