A woman motorist who ploughed into a nine-year-old girl on a pedestrian crossing while using her hands-free mobile phone has walked free from court.
Relatives of the victim reacted angrily when Dawn Mallen was given a 12-month jail sentence which was suspended for two years because she has a ten-year-old son.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that Mallen had only passed her driving test three months before the tragic accident on September 9 last year.
The 31-year-old admitted to police that she was 'ignorant' of the Highway code relating to pedestrian crossings.
The victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, initially had a life-threatening brain injury and she needs round the clock care.