Toddler fractured skull after unicyclist crash

A mum said she feared her daughter had died after suffering a fractured skull when she was struck by a man riding an electric unicycle.

The two-year-old sustained the serious injuries after being hit on Felixstowe Promenade in Suffolk.

Andrew Wickenden, 50, of Old Norwich Road in Ipswich, was given a 14-week custodial sentence, suspended for one year, at Ipswich Magistrates' Court.

Speaking to the BBC outside court, her mum said: "No sentence is ever going to be enough for what he has caused my daughter at such a young age."

The toddler cannot be identified for legal reasons, so the BBC has omitted the name of her mum.

Wickenden was riding a Bedgode unicycle, which can only legally be used on private land.

He had admitted causing serious injury by careless driving, using a motor vehicle on a road or public place without third party insurance, and driving a motor vehicle otherwise than in accordance with a licence.

The court heard how boat builder Wickenden hit the toddler on 3 November while weaving in and out of pedestrians on the busy promenade.

But, in a statement, the defendant said he was travelling at a speed "less than cyclists" and close to the wall to "minimise potential contact with others".

He said he collided with the girl after she started running towards him, explaining he slowed down before "accelerating slightly to get out of her way".

"I am devastated and I've had sleepless nights," his statement added.

His defence lawyer told the court "to say this is a terrible accident is an understatement" but Wickenden had shown "genuine sympathy and demonstrable remorse".

The toddler was discharged from hospital after four hours but later "woke up screaming in agony" and started being "constantly sick", the court heard.

Further tests revealed she suffered "substantial injuries", including a bleed on the brain.

"It's the last thing you ever want to hear, that your child is in pain or suffering," her mum said in a statement.

"Seeing my daughter in a situation I couldn't prevent was heart-breaking."

The court heard the toddler recovered from her injuries but there were significant concerns about her long-term development as a result.

"I felt I was a failure as a mother due to not being able to protect my children," she added.

The mother said her daughter's five-year-old brother had woken up with nightmares due to the incident.

Speaking to the BBC, the mother said she was in Aldi supermarket when she was told about the extent of her daughter's injuries.

"While I am not a very emotional person, when I got the call I broke down," she said.

"I had what I would describe as my first panic attack and I was sobbing.

"I essentially thought she was dead."

Wickenden was also disqualified from driving for 18 months and was ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.

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