‘Cowardly’ van driver, 61, who killed horse and put eight-year-old girl in hospital in hit-and-run is jailed

A hit-and-run driver who crashed his Transit van into a horse being ridden by an eight-year-old girl before fleeting the scene has been jailed today. 

Christopher Rogers, 61, was driving while disqualified and without insurance when he struck the horse in Higher Treween, Cornwall on January 12.

After the collision he briefly stopped for half a minute at the scene of the accident before driving off. 

Ellie, 13, was leading the chestnut horse called Ora while her neighbour Grace, 8, rode in the saddle, Bodmin Magistrates Court heard.

Polly Smith, 39, said she faced ‘every mother’s worst nightmare’ when she heard a scream from her daughter Ellie moments after setting off with her pony Ora. 

Eight-year-old Grace was rushed to hospital by air ambulance but later discharged with cuts and bruises. 

Ora – a 17-year-old British Riding Pony – took the full impact of the crash and had to be humanely put down by vets at the scene

The children had grown up with Ora and known the horse all their lives, the court heard. 

Ellie, 13, was leading the chestnut horse called Ora while her eight-year-old neighbour Grace rode in the saddle, Bodmin Magistrates Court heard. 

Mum-of-four Polly (pictured) said: ‘It was just an ordinary day. Ellie had just set off leading the horse with Grace riding and I heard her scream “mum”‘

Mother-of-four Polly Smith told MailOnline: ‘It was just an ordinary day. Ellie had just set off leading the horse with Grace riding and I heard her scream “mum”.

‘I raced around the corner and I just saw Ora’s leg hanging off and a van driving off down the road.

‘I didn’t know what to do, I’d never seen anything like it, there was blood everywhere and I just went numb. I didn’t know where to be or who to help.

‘Suddenly there were police everywhere but we had to wait for an hour and a quarter before the vet could finally get here.

 ‘Ora was just standing there so quietly, Ellie was just crying and cuddling her but as soon as I saw the leg I knew there was nothing we could do.

‘I feel guilty saying it but she saved their lives by giving hers. When he hit her she fell down and that’s what sent Grace flying off.’

Police launched a manhunt after locals at the Rising Sun Inn allegedly reported suspicious damage to Rogers’ van which was later found by police hidden in a barn.

Rogers pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention, driving while disqualified and driving with no insurance.

Polly said: ‘Ellie [pictured here on the horse] was only two when we got Ora, she has ridden all her life and she spent hours out here with her, she was her best friend and she just misses her so much’

Previous charges of failing to stop after a road accident and causing £4,000 criminal damage to the horse were withdrawn at an earlier hearing. 

Prosecutor Samantha Rogers said Rogers collided with the horse and drove off.

Defence lawyer Chris Nicholls said: ‘This is a tragic case and the defendant has pleaded guilty to poor driving.’

He told the court that his client is a ‘horse lover’ who ‘understands the tragedy and the loss of this lovely animal’.

He added: ‘He’s rather a sad individual who lives on universal credit. He’s a horse lover himself and can feel the loss this family has suffered.’

He was jailed for 18 weeks and banned from driving for 22 months and one week for driving while disqualified.

The JPs said Rogers ‘paused for 20-30 seconds’ after the collision but failed to stop or report it or investigate how serious the accident had been.

He also concealed his van afterwards and the magistrates said the incident had a traumatic effect on the two children and ‘the violence against the animal that the accident caused’.

The bench also said Rogers made comments to the probation service about horse owners which questioned whether his remorse was genuine.

Rogers, of Bolventor, was jailed for driving while disqualified but the court did not impose any separate penalty for driving without care and attention or insurance.

He will serve nine weeks in jail before he is released on licence.