Driver jailed for killing girl, 3, in crash after taking 20 lines of cocaine

North Wales Chronicle

28-05-2025

Rawal Rehman, 36, of Lambton Road, Manchester, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving after hitting the youngster with his Mercedes Sprinter van.
Louisa Palmisano, known as Lulu, died in hospital from her injuries after she was struck while walking with her parents on a family visit to Manchester on February 22.
Rehman left the scene of the crash in Mosley Street at about 10am before he was later arrested.
Judge Alan Conrad KC sentenced him to 12 years in jail at Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday.
The court previously heard that Rehman had visited two massage parlours in the city in the early hours of February 22 and had taken 'at least 20 lines of cocaine' in seven hours.
CCTV of the incident was played to the court, showing the family walking along the pavement, with Lulu between her parents, holding their hands.
Rehman failed to stop at the junction, despite large stop signs and warnings written on the road.
The side of his van was then hit by an oncoming tram, forcing his vehicle on to the pavement and into the family, knocking the parents aside.
Rehman, who had his hood up, got out of the van and walked around the vehicle before retrieving his phone and leaving the scene.
Prosecutor Rachel Shenton told the court the van's MOT had lapsed and there were a number of defects with the vehicle, though none was serious enough to have contributed to the incident.
Rehman had a number of previous convictions, including being jailed in 2017 for three years for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice after he torched a car involved in a fatal hit-and-run collision which killed a 25-year-old man in Chorlton, Manchester.
David Toal, appearing for the defence, said his client had admitted to things the prosecution had no evidence for, which showed he was taking responsibility, and had planned to hand himself in to the police before his arrest.
He said: 'An aggravating factor is that he left the scene – there is no excuse for this.
'His explanation is that he panicked and that panic turned into shock when he learned via social media that a young girl had lost her life.'
In a statement following Lulu's death, her family, from Burnley, Lancashire, said: 'Louisa was the sweetest, kindest, and most generous little girl.
'She was full of creativity and joy, and she absolutely loved going to nursery every day.
'Her absence has left a devastating void in our family – she was our only child, our whole world.
'We were simply enjoying a happy family day out in Manchester when this unimaginable tragedy struck.
'In an instant, our lives were shattered beyond repair.
'The pain of losing her is unbearable, and we miss her more than words can ever express.'