Dangerous driver pleads guilty to seriously injuring young brothers in car crash

Jake Morris, then 14, and his young brother Noah were travelling in the family's Ford S-Max in Lichfield Road, Wednesfield, Wolverhampton, on April 14, 2021 when they were involved in a crash with a Renault Clio.

The Clio was being driven by Jasneek Athwal, who admitted two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday.

The court heard how the two cars collided just before 10pm just after a canal bridge and close to the Lichfield Road junction with Lewis Grove.

Athwal, of Linden Lea in Compton, Wolverhampton, was at the wheel of a Renault Clio that collided with the Ford just before 10pm just after a canal bridge and close to the Lichfield Road junction with Lewis Grove.

The children and their parents Matt Morris and Louise Highfield were two minutes away from their home when the crash happened.

Judge Jonathan Gosling told the 22-year-old: "I will adjourn this case for reports, but you must not take this has an indication of what the sentence will be. The sentencing judge will not be me.

"The judge who will sentence you will determine that on the day when they have all the information. In the meantime I will disqualify you from driving."

Mr Philip Beardwell, mitigating barrister, said: "This is at the very bottom of the dangerous driving category although two people were injured.

"I have explained to her that she will be disqualified from driving from today."

In the aftermath of the crash the boys were taken to Birmingham Children’s Hospital where Noah, then aged nine, underwent an operation on his fractured skull and was discharged two days later. Meanwhile, Jake underwent surgery for a broken femur described by doctors as “one of the worst breaks" they had seen.

At the time an online fundraising page set up to help the family recover collected more than £600.

Athwal, of Linden Lea in Compton, Wolverhampton, will be sentenced next month. The matter was adjourned.