James Davis was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving. The 35-year-old from Croxtalls Avenue in Walsall, was behind the wheel of the BMW 1 Series 116d when he “slipped” on the wrong side of the road and fell on Ciaran Leigh Morris. Ciaran, who was just eighteen days old, was being pushed along the sidewalk of Brownhills Street on Easter Sunday (April 4, 2021) by his parents when he was hit by a car driven by Davis. Ciaran was taken to hospital but his injuries were too severe for him to survive. Ciaran’s mother also suffered a broken collar. Davis had left the car and left the scene immediately, but about forty minutes later, he called the police to tell them what he had done. Watch the moment on CCTV when Davis left the stage in Brownhills: Davis denied causing Siaran’s death by dangerous driving and claimed he had a blackout at the wheel, saying he did not remember hitting Siaran’s cart. After the crash, Davis ran away and told a passerby that “he had killed a baby and was coming down for a long time.” The trial heard Davis, who had a teenage passenger, traveling at 67 mph in the 30 mph zone shortly before the fatal crash. During his proofs, Davis agreed to reach 67 mph in a 30 mph area, but said he was driving within the speed limit when the accident occurred. He told the Wolverhampton Crown Court: “The last thing I remember was being starred. I can’t remember any of that. It’s like everything was empty.” After the crash, Davis ran away and told a passerby that “he had killed a baby and was coming down for a long time.” Prosecutor James Curtis QC said: “This case concerns the tragic murder of an 18-day-old child by an act of extremely poor and dangerous driving by this accused, James Davis.” “He was driving a small BMW saloon in Brownhills, Walsall – it was in a shopping area inhabited by shoppers and passers-by.” James Davis Credit: West Midlands Police “The driving conditions were perfect.” “Suddenly he made a maneuver that was to prove fatal.” “First he drove off, sideways, off the side of the road, over the main line and hit a car coming in the opposite direction, on the right side.” “This did a lot of damage to both cars.” “From there, the BMW swerved, on the wrong side of the road, and on the opposite sidewalk, where a couple was driving their new baby, named Ciaran Morris.” A horse-drawn carriage carries two-week-old Ciaran coffin Credit: BPM Media He adds: “The car fell into the stroller, into the stroller, before it hit the wall and inevitably stopped.” “He inflicted fatal injuries on the head and body of this young child, who died in hospital shortly afterwards, despite all efforts to save him.” The prosecutor went on to say: “He was fully in shape and had a fairly clear head, the Crown says, to invent what we call a fake defense.” “The Crown says there is no medical justification for this driving – this is a fabrication.” An earlier investigation had claimed that Ciaran died of “multiple injuries”. Ciaran’s funeral took place on April 28, 2021, with the cortege, led by a hearse, passing near the crash site. Hundreds paid their respects. At that time, Ciaran’s parents paid tribute to their little boy, saying: “Mom and Dad’s heart will always hurt, we love you more than anything else.” Tributes to little Ciaran from the Walsall community Credit: BPM Media They added: “We did not manage to keep you for long, but we are happy to have the opportunity to meet you, to take care of you and to call you our son. “Throw up an angel.” A fundraising campaign for the Ciaran’s family has since raised thousands of pounds. Following today’s verdict, Ciaran’s parents said: “Ciaran, our precious little boy, in the short time he was with us, was loved so much. The unexpected and sudden circumstances of Ciaran’s loss have caused great pain and our lives will never be the same without him. “Our family would be grateful if you could now allow us to mourn in private.”
