THE family of schoolgirl Liberty Baker have welcomed the guilty plea from the teenager responsible for her death.

But Paul and Maureen Baker and son Finley, 11, said they were “devastated and heartbroken” by Liberty’s death on June 30 last year.

And Mr and Mrs Baker said they would launch a civil action against 19-year-old Blackwell who pleaded guilty yesterdayto causing death by dangerous driving.

He also admitted causing injury by dangerous driving to Paul Cracknell, who was behind Liberty when the fatal collision happened in Curbridge Road, Witney.

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Liberty, 14, was walking to the Henry Box School with two friends when she was hit by Blackwell’s car.

Oxford Mail:

Liberty Baker.

At the Oxford Crown Court hearing, prosecution barrister Ian Hope said he believed Blackwell had been distracted by his mobile phone and that a toxicology report showed there was a low level of cannabis in his system.

In a statement issued after Blackwell admitted his guilt, the family said: “We are devastated and heartbroken that our beautiful daughter and sister has been so cruelly taken from us in an avoidable way.

“Our lives will never be the same again. Liberty was such a kind and caring girl and her glowing smile lit up our lives. We welcome today’s guilty plea but hope the courts impose a sentence which reflects the gravity of the crime.

“Anyone can make a mistake but to be taking drugs before getting behind the wheel is unforgivable.

“His actions have cost our daughter her life and we have to live with our loss every day, yet he will likely only spend only months behind bars before being freed.

We would urge all motorists to please take care when you are on the roads.

“If you have to take a call or send a text then please pull over. It only takes a second to ruin someone’s life.”

The defence denied Mr Hope’s claims that Blackwell, of Weald, near Bampton, had been distracted by his phone and said he was under significant pressure at work at the time.

Mr Hope said: “It’s clear from his guilty pleas he accepts he was driving over the 30mph speed limit and he was distracted for what must have been a fair period of time – 10 seconds or so.

“His mobile telephone received a text and certainly within five minutes of that text having been received, the first call was made to the ambulance service.

“The prosecution says it’s fair and proper to conclude he was distracted at the time by the telephone ringing.”

However, Claire Fraser, defending, said her client denied his mobile phone was the cause of the accident.

She said: “At the time he was in a sales position and was under a significant amount of pressure.”

Blackwell was given conditional bail to appear for sentencing on April 16.