A BARROW motorist’s eyes filled with tears as she listened to the account of a nine-year-old boy left scared to cross the road after she hit him with her car.

Bernadette Mallett admitted driving without due care and attention after colliding with the child riding his scooter over a zebra crossing.

The 44-year-old, of Cedar Road, Barrow appeared at Furness Magistrates’ Court for sentencing yesterday.

Mr Peter Kelly, prosecuting, told the court the incident happened on Harrel Lane, in Barrow, at around 8.30am on January 27.

A witness walking her son to school saw Mallett’s car approach the crossing.

In her statement, she said: “Next thing I knew, the vehicle hit the child. He was thrown into the air away from the front of the vehicle.

“I ran to assist him and picked him up, making sure he was ok. He kept apologising. I reassured him that he was not at fault.

“The driver of the vehicle then got out. She appeared keen to leave the scene. I demanded that she stay while I got a pen and paper where I could record her details.

“She didn’t seem overly concerned about the child.”

The boy suffered a graze to his elbow and had his coat ripped.

In an impact statement read to the court, the nine-year-old said: “Since this incident I feel uneasy and scared when I have to cross the road. I sometimes freeze.

“I used to walk to school by myself but now I walk with my mum. I sometimes get scared when cars go by fast.

“As time goes by I am getting better at controlling my fear.”

Mr Trystan Roberts, defending, explained there had been several problems with the investigation into the incident, which could potentially have been resolved outside of court had the right steps been taken.

He described how there had been “a huge articulated lorry” reversing in and out of the Co-op store near where the incident occurred. This, Mallett said, had partly obscured her view of the crossing.

She had stopped to let the lorry out but, after being waved on by the driver and with a number of motorists queuing behind her, had panicked and driven on.

Mr Roberts questioned whether the child “flew into the air” and suggested his lack of injury indicated Mallett must not have been moving at any speed.

He also strongly disputed the witness’s allegation that the defendant appeared unconcerned about the boy and was keen to leave.

He said: “She has shown an enormous amount of remorse, she accepts she’s made a mistake and she bitterly regrets that.

“She knows that, even under pressure of the cars behind, she should not have gone on to that zebra crossing not knowing what was there.”

Mallett avoided being disqualified from driving, instead receiving five penalty points on her licence and being fined £150. She will also pay £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.