Van driver jailed after 12-year-old girl killed getting off bus

Pursglove struck Lexi McDavid in his van while driving on a road in Huyton in 2022

A van driver has been jailed for causing the death of a 12-year-old schoolgirl who he hit with his vehicle as she got off a bus.

David Pursglove, 35, from Maghull, was driving at about 45mph when he struck Lexi McDavid on Princess Drive, Huyton, in June 2022.

Her family told Liverpool Crown Court her death had left "a massive hole in all of our hearts".

Pursglove was jailed for eight months for causing death by careless driving.

He was also banned from driving for two years and 10 months.

Police were unable to give an exact speed at which the van was travelling at the moment Lexi was hit, the court heard.

More than 100 people went to a vigil held in Lexi McDavid's memory last year

An approximate speed was estimated from evidence given to the police force from CCTV and doorbell footage, along with the telematics recovered from Pursglove's white Mercedes van.

Judge Justice Stuart Driver KC said Pursglove "showed real remorse" for his actions after the court heard that he had remained at the scene for some time after the collision to help police.

Lexi McDavid's mother, Lillian Murphy, told the court during the trial that her daughter was "so smart and loved life" and her death had "left a massive hole in all of our hearts".

Her father Dale McDavid said she "had a heart of gold" and that he didn't "know how to carry on any more".