Hit and run driver given six weeks for killing girl, 3, has breached driving ban FOUR times since he was freed

A driver who spent only six weeks in jail for mowing down a three-year-old girl in a stolen car breached his five-year ban four times after he was freed, a court heard.

Mohammed Aqueel Hussain struck Levi Bleasdale as she crossed the road with her mother in September 2005.

Instead of stopping Hussain, who has never passed his driving test, sped off and left the little girl to die.

He was jailed for 12 weeks, serving half of the sentence, with critics saying he should have been punished more severely.

When it emerged yesterday that the 27-year-old had breached his five-year driving ban four times - including twice on one day - they said they had been proved right.

Hussain, of Burnley, was jailed for 180 days yesterday by the town's magistrates.

The three-year-old was out shopping with her mother Kirsty and sister Brogan, then aged five months, in Burnley, when she was killed.

Hussain, who had only a provisional licence, sped through the 30mph zone at up to 48mph in a stolen VW Golf, striking Levi, who suffered massive injuries and died the next day.

He left her mother screaming with horror and drove off, only handing himself in to police days later.

Hussain's conduct was not considered bad enough for him to be charged with causing death by dangerous driving, which carries a maximum sentence of 14 years imprisonment.

Instead, in February 2006 he admitted careless driving. But even with the offences of driving illegally, being in a stolen car and failing to stop at the scene of an accident, his sentence totalled 12 weeks in prison.

It contrasted with an eightmonth jail term given to a drug addict who stole a teddy bear from among mementoes left at the scene by Levi's family.

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Hussain, who was also banned from driving for five years, was said to be desperately sorry for his actions.

But in March this year he was jailed for a further 42 days after being found behind the wheel of a friend's car.

He had been caught driving a further three times since then, magistrates heard yesterday.

In September, Hussain was spotted by a police community support officer driving a Mercedes through Burnley, and was seen again by the same officer an hour later driving he same car, the court heard.

He was stopped and arrested but given bail, and just two months later was caught behind the wheel of a Vauxhall Astra hired by his father.

Hussain, who admitted flouting the driving ban, was 'haunted' by Levi's death, said his defence counsel.

A spokesman for road safety charity Brake said: 'Justice and punishment are meant to act as a deterrent - his 12-week sentence obviously didn't act as one.

"It was an insult to Levi's death and has obviously had no affect on him. Tougher sentences are needed to match the severity of the crime."

Since Levi's death, the Government has introduced the offence of death by careless driving, which carries up to five years' imprisonment.

Burnley MP Kitty Ussher, who highlighted the case in a Commons debate, said: "By flouting his driving ban after he did so in March, it shows this man has no sense of responsibility and is a menace."