A HEROIN addict killed an 11-year-old schoolgirl in a hit and run while high on drugs.
Christopher Hannah mowed down Sophie Brannan after his car mounted the pavement in Maryhill, Glasgow, last November. Hannah also left Sophie's 10-year-old friend and the other girl's uncle badly hurt.
The 33-year-old fled the scene, but later called a friend to say he had been driving like a "madman" and had hit someone.
He was arrested and it led to him yesterday appearing in the dock at the High Court in Glasgow.
The father-of-three is now behind bars after he pled guilty to the culpable homicide of Sophie.
Hannah - who already had a lengthy criminal past - will return to court next month to be sentenced.
His advocate Thomas Ross said: "He has asked to state publicly his apologies for those affected by this terrible tragedy."
Sophie's family - including her father Graham - were in court to hear the details of the girl's death. Sophie had been with a young friend and the other girl's 36-year-old uncle in Sandbank Street, Maryhill on November 1 last year.
The court heard that Hannah was driving a hired Vauxhall Astra in the area and lost control. He then fully mounted the pavement before hitting the gable end of a nearby building.
However, the car continued to career forward, eventually ploughing into Sophie and the two others from behind.
Prosecutor Allan Nicol said: "This caused them to be thrown onto the bonnet, windscreen and roof of the vehicle before falling onto the ground." Another motorist witnessed the carnage and immediately turned back to help Sophie.
More witnesses, meantime, saw Hannah speed onto nearby Maryhill Road with his badly dented car being "driven erratically".
He then smacked into a taxi and the driver decided to tail Hannah, who eventually stopped a short distance away.
Mr Nicol added: "At that point, the accused was trying to pull the damaged front bumper then he stopped and walked away before starting to run off.
"Both the taxi driver and his passengers noticed that he was under the influence of some substance."
Sophie was rushed to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children at Yorkhill where she was found to have swelling to her brain, several fractures and broken bones. The schoolgirl was pronounced dead on the morning on November 15.
The court heard the other young girl hit suffered a serious leg break which will require long-term physiotherapy. She continues to wear a cast several months on from the tragedy.
Mr Nicol added: "She also suffers episodes of withdrawal and angry outbursts. She is due to attend for psychiatric assessment in order to come to terms with her injuries and the loss of Sophie."
The other girl's uncle also suffered a number of fractures, but was initially released from hospital two days later. However, he eventually required surgery and it is likely he will have "long-term restriction" in movement to his right shoulder.
The court heard that Hannah was dependant on heroin.
His partner revealed he had come to her home, where he was staying, on the night of the crash "in shock". Hannah had claimed he had hit someone, but did not know who.
Police were at the house when Hannah later called his girlfriend. She handed the phone to an officer and Hannah said: "I'm sorry - I didn't mean to do it. It was a total accident. I lost control of the car and I panicked. I'm going to hand myself in tonight."
In the early hours of November 17, Hannah turned up a house in the city's Mount Florida, but those inside decided to call police. Officers turned up and arrested Hannah, who initially tried to escape.
He was later searched and eight grammes of heroin were discovered inside his boxer shorts.
Accident investigators concluded Hannah was solely to blame for what happened. It was stated he had taken "a conscious decision" to drive while "impaired".
As well as culpable homicide, Hannah also pled guilty to dangerous driving, attempting to defeat the ends of justice and possessing heroin.
It emerged he already had 14 previous convictions for crimes including having an offensive weapon and road traffic charges. He was also on bail at the time having been freed from Glasgow's Justice of the Peace Court two months before the crash.
Lord Bannatyne remanded Hannah in custody and deferred sentencing until May 5 in Livingston.
Sophie's family were too upset to comment after the case.
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