Grandfather speaks of pain after baby's crash death

The heartbroken grandfather of an eight-month-old girl killed by a car has spoken of the difficulty of seeing his family's pain.

Mabli Cariad Hall's pram was struck by a white BMW outside the entrance to Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, on 21 June 2023.

She died from severe traumatic brain injury at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children four days later.

A year on Paul Sambrook said it was going to take years before things were "even half right".

Speaking outside the hospital he said: "We’re a large family, we’re a close family, and to see everyone in the family go through the same pain is a very difficult thing to bear.

"As a grandfather, the older member of the family, you mourn several times over.

"You mourn for the loss of your granddaughter but then you mourn for the loss of happiness that everyone else had."

Rebuilding, Mr Sambrook said, was difficult.

It was a "tragedy" Mabli's character would not have the chance to develop.

"She was full of fun, she had a lovely laugh, she had that light in her eyes," Mr Sambrook said.

"She would’ve been a character, without a doubt. She was a character.

"I think that’s the awful tragedy. The loss of a life is one thing, the loss of the lifetime is the thing that hurts more.

"It’s a work in progress, it’s going to take many years to make things even half right, to be frank."

Mabli would distract him as he worked.

"I work at home so very often she’d come and sit on my knee, while I was trying to work, and help me type various things.

"We’d end up watching some nursery rhymes or some dancing fruit. In the end, I’d give up trying to work.

"We used to have a lot of fun."

A purple heart had become a motif for the family.

He thanked people for all the support they had given the family.

"It’s been an inspiration despite the sadness," Mr Sambrook said.

Flowers were laid in Mabli's memory.

Parents Gwen and Rob Hall, from Neath, laid tributes near to spot there daughter was fatally injured.

The pair were supported by friends and family. Others also laid flowers, teddy bears, lights and cards in memory at a tree near to hospital entrance.

The family will attend a private memorial service in the hospital.

At the opening of the inquest into her death, her family said in a statement the pain and grief they were suffering was "indescribable".

"During this terribly painful time, we still have no answer to the central question we inevitably ask regarding the tragic loss of our beautiful baby girl," they said.

The driver of the BMW suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to hospital, along with their passenger and a pedestrian who was also hit.

Dyfed-Powys Police said: "The investigation is ongoing. Specialist officers are continuing to support the family. No arrests have been made."

Hywel Dda health board's chief executive, Prof Philip Kloer, said: "Our thoughts and sympathies are with Mabli's family at this time, she will always be remembered by us."