Van driver admits causing death of King's College London student in campus collision
A man has pleaded guilty to killing a King's College London university student after his van struck her near the institution's central London campus. Christopher Jackson, aged 27, appeared at the Old Bailey on Monday to admit causing the death of 20-year-old Aalia Mahomed by dangerous driving on 18 March last year.
Details of the tragic incident
The court heard that Jackson was driving a van at speed when it hit a metal gate, knocking it off its hinges before colliding with a bench where Ms Mahomed was sitting. The physics and philosophy student, who was in her second year at King's College London, suffered fatal injuries in the impact.
The van mounted a flower bed and became briefly airborne before coming to rest near the wall of St Mary-Le-Strand church. Jackson also pleaded guilty to two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving after two other King's College London students, Irem Yoldas and Yamin Belmessous, both in their twenties, were injured by the flying gate and required hospital treatment.
Court proceedings and sentencing
Jackson, who is from Southampton, stood in the dock wearing a black shirt with his head bowed as he entered his pleas. He remained looking at the floor throughout the short hearing before being remanded in custody ahead of a sentencing hearing scheduled for 6 March.
Judge Philip Katz KC told the court that Jackson was "inevitably going to be a substantial custodial sentence." The sentencing date falls just before the anniversary of the tragic incident that claimed Ms Mahomed's life.
Defence arguments and family response
Defence barrister Jessica Clarke told the court that Jackson has three young children with his fiancée and has been trying to "earn as much money" as possible for his family before sentencing. She argued that "unlike many cases of death by dangerous driving which involve excessive speed, alcohol and drugs, this involves none of that. It was a tragic accident."
Speaking outside court after the hearing, the Mahomed family's lawyer Trevor Sterling described it as a day of "mixed emotions" for the grieving relatives. "They have been on a horrendous journey but today enables them at least to find some closure because of the guilty plea," he told reporters.
The family stated they have "no feeling towards him (Jackson), they just hope there's a level of accountability." They are now focusing on creating a legacy for their daughter through a charity established in her name to help poorer children in Malawi.
Police investigation and tributes
Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Superintendent Donna Smith said: "Our thoughts remain with Aalia's friends and family at this time. We can only imagine the pain they are suffering and we know nothing can undo what's happened." She thanked officers for their dedication and members of the public who came to Ms Mahomed's aid.
In a previous statement, Ms Mahomed's family described her as "a bright, kind and beautiful soul, who brought joy and laughter to everyone" and "a ray of sunshine in our lives." They added that her light would continue to live on in their memories as they navigate this difficult period.
The incident occurred when Jackson was collecting two electric vehicles from Bush House in Aldwych before driving at speed and striking the gates at the King's College London campus near The Strand. The case has highlighted concerns about road safety around university campuses in central London.
