A 24 year-old man was jailed for nine months today after a hit-and-run incident in Derry.
Caoimhe McGuinness, who was seven years-old at the time, suffered extensive injuries after she was knocked down by a motorbike at Creggan Heights on June 7, 2013.
Caoimhe (pictured above on her recent First Communion day) still has two steel plates in her jaw.
Derry Crown Court heard that David McCloskey was driving a motorbike along Creggan Heights when he struck Caoimhe, flipping her into the air and throwing her a short distance down the road.
McCloskey and another man, who was a pillion passenger, fell off the bike.
The passenger remained at the scene but McCloskey drove off.
The pillion passenger identified McCloskey as the dtriver of the motorbike and he was arrested at a house nearby.
The court heard that Caoimhe was left lying unconscious on the road and was taken to Alnagelvin Hospital, before being transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast due to the seriousness of her injuries, which included a fractured skull, a ruptured spleen, a lacerated kidney and fractures to her jaw and a finger.
Judge Phillip Babbington today told McCloskey, who has 22 previous criminal convictions, that his behaviour after the incident was 'inexcusable'.
He was sentenced to nine months in prison and disqualifed from driving for three years.
If you have a story or want to send a photo or video to us please contact the Derry Now editorial team on 028 7129 6600 for Derry City stories Or 028 7774 3970 for County Derry stories. Or you can email gareth@derrynews.net at any time.
