Bus driver pleads GUILTY over death of girl, 9, after smashing into her while high on drugs in horror crash
A BUS driver has pleaded guilty over the death of a nine-year-old girl in a horror crash after smashing into her while high on drugs.
Martin Asolo-Agogua had been up all night at a social event when he struck Ada Bicakci with the double decker in Bexleyheath, South East London.
2
The youngster tragically couldn't be saved and died two days after the August 3 horror.
Her five-year-old brother was also taken to hospital following the crash.
Asolo-Agogua, 23, today admitted causing death by dangerous driving and driving whilst unfit through drugs (cannabis).
Judge Ben Gumpert KC warned the driver he faces prison during the hearing at Woolwich Crown Court.
He said: "Looking at the sentencing guidelines, whether this is in the highest or middle level of culpability, even if that decision went in favour of the defendant the starting point would be a sentence of six years in prison.
"And there are, it seems to me, considerable aggravating features because he was driving a bus, under the influence of cannabis, and that he hadn't slept the night before having been, as I understand it, at a social event.'
A previous hearing was told Asolo-Agogua had 5.9 micrograms of THC - a psychoactive chemical found in cannabis - in his blood.
Asolo-Agogua was bailed ahead of sentencing in June at the same court.
Ada, a Turkish and British national, was a 'keen' gymnast and swimmer, accordint to tributes.
A GoFundMe page was launched to provide support to those who helped the tragic youngster.
A statement on behalf of the Bacakci family revealed Ada's organs were donated to help six other children following the tragedy.
It read: "We have been hit and shattered into pieces, one became six, living in new places.
"Thanks are not enough to show our gratitude. We'll honour Ada with acts of magnitude.
"The funds will support those who helped us through, from emergency services to our hospital too. We lost count of who soaked us in love."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Brit couple found with £1m of cannabis in luggage in latest 'drug mule' fears
Sian Warren, 34, and Daniel McDonald, 36, from Salford, have been accused of trying to smuggle cannabis valued at £1million through Heathrow Airport on their way back from Thailand A couple have been charged with trying to smuggle cannabis valued at £1million into the UK after being stopped at Heathrow Airport. Sian Warren, 34, and Daniel McDonald, 36, were on their way back from Thailand when officers from the National Crime Agency reportedly found more than 51kg of cannabis in their luggage. It is understood that the drug was in four cases that the pair were carrying. They appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court where they have been charged with importing Class B drugs and have been bailed under curfew ahead of a plea hearing on June 26 at Isleworth Crown Court. Warren and McDonald, from Salford, went to Bangkok on holiday last month and Warren's dad Tony told The Sun that there must have been a mistake. He said: 'Sian's not brought anything back, definitely not. She had her own suitcase with clothes in it.' It is the latest of several incidents involving British holidaymakers who have been accused of smuggling drugs from Thailand as an expert warned that criminal gangs are 'grooming' naive tourists. In the last few weeks, three British women have hit the headlines after they were accused of attempting to smuggle drugs. Bella May Cullen, 18, was arrested after flying into Georgia from Thailand with around 14kg of cannabis and 2kg of hashish in her luggage. A day later former TUI stewardess Charlotte May Lee was allegedly caught with 46kg of Kush – a high-grade strain of cannabis – in her luggage valued at £1.2million after arriving in Sri Lanka, again from Thailand. And then it emerged another Brit, Isabella Daggett, 21, from Leeds, has been held in a hellhole Dubai prison since March, when she was arrested on suspected drugs offences. Nathan Paul Southern, the Operations Director at The EyeWitness Project, which specialises in the investigation of organised crime, conflict and corruption, says southeast Asia has now become the world 's leading supplier of both narcotics like heroin and synthetic drugs like ecstasy and crystal meth. The 'Golden Triangle' - a large mountainous region on the borders with Myanmar, Thailand and Laos, recently overtook Afghanistan as the world's largest producer of opium, used to make heroin. And he says gangs are 'flocking' to the region from around the world, where they appear to be using grooming techniques used in other types of crimes to ensnare impressionable young Westerners. Mr Southern told the Mirror: 'The idea of charming strangers grooming backpackers isn't new, it's just the same old tactics in a region with a booming drug trade. The same grooming techniques we've seen in romance scams and human trafficking could be getting adapted for drug smuggling.
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Teenage girl is killed in horror 4WD crash after camping trip with mates goes horribly wrong in long weekend tragedy
A teenage girl has died after a horrific 4WD accident while camping with friends over the long weekend. Caitlyn Bragger, 15, was in a Toyota LandCruiser with five other teens when it crashed near campgrounds at Lake Brockman, south of Perth, 8pm on Saturday. Western Australia Police said the teenagers had been camping in the area while a 16-year-old boy was behind the wheel at the time. Caitlyn died of her injuries at the scene. A 17-year-old boy and the driver were raced to Bunbury Regional Hospital. An 18-year-old boy and two 16-year-old girls also suffered minor injuries. Other nearby campers said they had seen the car's headlights moving through the trees before the crash. They then heard a 'loud bang' and a 'woman screaming'. Caitlyn's family said they were 'broken and in pieces' after losing their 'beautiful girl'. A GoFundMe has since been launched to help the family during their time of need. 'She bought a ray of sunshine everywhere she went, [she was] so outgoing and never left a dull moment in life,' the fundraiser read. 'Known for her kindness, unique sense of humour, and devotion to her family and friends. 'Her family are now left broken and in pieces, lost and confused. No one ever expects something like this to happen, you can't prepare yourself. 'Forever 15, forever in our memory and hearts. Our Angel In Heaven.' Some $9,000 had been raised for the family by Tuesday. Caitlyn's aunt Danica Pierce said her heart was 'seriously struggling to take all this pain'. 'You are going to be so missed, now an angel in heaven but way too young, my heart breaks,' she said. Witnesses at Lake Brockman said the LandCruiser had been crumpled in the crash. One of the boys who rushed to the group's aid, Jett, said it was a confronting sight. 'When I walked up there, there was a massive four-wheel-drive that had been smashed like a tin can, it was scary to see,' he told the ABC. 'There (were) so many people running towards the car and trying to help but there's only so much you can do in that situation.' His friend Rocquo said he managed to pull a rear door from the car to free a male passenger, but felt helpless after seeing the car's roof caved in at its front end. 'It was a shock because you feel hopeless because you can't do anything and we were trying to pick the roof up and we were trying to get everyone out but you can't do anything and it's just sad,' he said. Major Crash investigators continued to examine the scene with WA Police on Monday. Officers appealed for anybody with dash-cam footage of the incident to come forward. In Western Australia, drivers cannot obtain a provisional driving permit until they are 17 years of age.
Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Return of the Mack star Mark Morrison's team hit out as battery charge dropped
Mark Morrison, whose song Return of the Mack topped the UK charts in 1996, was taken into custody on Saturday but denied that any battery occurred at Le Bar à Vin in Palm Beach, Florida A battery charge against British singer Mark Morrison - best known for his 1996 hit Return of the Mack - has been dropped. The musician, 51, was taken into custody on Saturday after an alleged altercation at Le Bar à Vin in Palm Beach, Florida. However, the star's lawyers have today confirmed he was at the restaurant to talk to the manager and attempt to collect payment on behalf of a local singer who had performed at the venue. Although the "conversation escalated", Mr Morrison's lawyers said no physical altercation happened and now police have been able to dismiss the battery charge. In a statement, King Legal Group said: "The decision to nolle prosse (formally decline prosecution) ends what should never have been a criminal matter in the first place. "Mr Morrison has consistently and unequivocally denied that any battery occurred. There was no physical altercation—only a demand for fairness and accountability. The evidence never supported criminal intent or conduct." The legal team explained how Mr Morrison, whose track Return of the Mack spent two weeks as UK number one in April 1996, values standing up for what he believes in. However, they suggested race may have played a role in how the singer was treated. "While we are relieved the State has dismissed the charge, the underlying context cannot be ignored. The refusal to pay — coupled with how quickly the situation was criminalised — raises legitimate concerns about whether race played a role in how Mr Morrison was treated. It's not lost on us that advocating for fair pay, especially as a Black man in a position of leadership, can be met with suspicion instead of dialogue," the statement added. "Mr Morrison has spent years supporting local artists and standing up for what's right. That won't change. He is grateful for those who stood by him, and he remains committed to uplifting the artistic community in Palm Beach County and beyond. Towards that end, and in furtherance of Mr Morrison's commitment to his community, he is donating the $1000.00 (£730) bond used to secure his appearance, to Little Smiles, a local children's charity." Mr Morrison posed for a mugshot in a blue jumpsuit before he was released on Sunday morning. The musician has had a long history of both musical success and legal troubles. He burst onto the music scene in the mid-90s, enjoyed significant success with Return of the Mack. The song became an anthem of its time, widely regarded as one of the defining tracks of the 1990s R&B movement. Its success propelled Mr Morrison into the spotlight, and he quickly became one of the genre's most promising stars.
