**Driver Sentenced After Tragic Death of Cardiff Schoolgirl and Attempted Tampering with Evidence**
A Cardiff motorist who killed a 15-year-old girl on a zebra crossing has been sentenced to prison, following revelations that he attempted to influence his daughters’ evidence in the subsequent investigation—a move the presiding judge said ultimately “backfired”.
Christopher West, 42, of Nottage Road in Ely, admitted causing the death of Keely Morgan, a local schoolgirl, by careless driving and while uninsured. The fatal collision occurred on 1 May 2023 in Heol Trelai, Caerau, Cardiff, as Keely was walking across a marked pedestrian crossing. West’s Vauxhall Astra struck the teenager, resulting in catastrophic head injuries. Despite efforts by eyewitnesses and emergency responders, Keely was pronounced dead at 10.02pm that evening.
Keely Morgan’s passing was particularly poignant for her family and community. Having undergone a life-saving kidney transplant in 2021, she was eager to embrace her future—a hope that was brutally cut short. Expressions of shock and grief have circulated widely in the days and months since her death, drawing attention to the profound impact caused by dangerous driving.
Court proceedings revealed concerning details about West’s conduct both before and after the incident. Not only had he removed a black box device from his car—which would have provided data on his driving behaviour and was a condition of his insurance—but he was also transporting his two daughters and their friend at the time of the crash. The removal of the recording device meant that West was, effectively, driving without valid insurance.
Initially, West accepted responsibility but claimed in a plea basis that his actions were unintentional, contesting that he hadn’t deliberately removed the black box or been driving recklessly prior to the collision. However, scheduled to contest these claims at a hearing, West later withdrew his position, choosing to be sentenced on the agreed facts presented by the prosecution.
During sentencing at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday, Judge Paul Hobson scrutinised West’s attempts to shape the narrative after realising that his daughters’ accounts differed from his own. The judge noted that West had encouraged his younger daughter, who was just 11 at the time, not to mention his speeding to police. In video interviews, the girl described her father’s driving as sometimes “a bit fast” and said he appeared to be “showing off” by weaving the car from side to side. She recalled, “Dad was snaking the car along the road during the journey… trying to appear like a cool dad.”
West’s eldest daughter, now 19, also gave statements to police, revealing that her father had contacted her in May 2024, while the case was pending in court. He asked her to reinforce his version of events regarding the collision—an effort that ultimately failed when both daughters confirmed the car’s erratic movement. Judge Hobson remarked that this attempt to rewrite their testimonies not only “backfired” but called into question West’s remorse over the tragic outcome.
The judge went on to state that West’s decision to remove the black box was clearly deliberate, undermining his initial claims of forgetfulness. “The picture is of an irresponsible show-off,” Judge Hobson concluded, while reducing the customary credit for a guilty plea due to the defendant’s continued attempts to minimise his culpability.
Any lingering suggestion of remorse, the court heard, was overshadowed by West’s preoccupation with self-preservation and efforts to manipulate the legal process. “A large part of your concern is for yourself and that informs how you approached this process,” Judge Hobson said, adding, “You realised maintaining the basis of plea would backfire on you after your daughter’s statement had been uploaded. If you were remorseful it would not have taken that.”
For his actions, Christopher West was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment. He will also be disqualified from driving for two years and eight months, and must complete a driving test before regaining his licence.
Keely Morgan’s story serves as yet another reminder of the irreversible consequences of reckless driving, as well as the importance of honesty and responsibility in seeking justice for road victims. The case has sparked conversations about driver accountability and the emotional toll borne by families and communities in the wake of such devastating loss.