Driver who snorted '20 lines of cocaine' before causing death of girl, 3, jailed for 12 years
27 May 2025, 14:02 | Updated: 27 May 2025, 14:11
A van driver who caused the death of a three-year-old girl after snorting “at least 20 lines” of cocaine has been handed a 12-year jail term.
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Rawal Rehman, 36, pleaded guilty to causing the death of Louisa “Lulu” Palmisano in Manchester City centre on the 22nd of February.
After consuming copious amounts of cocaine, Rehman drove his van into a tram, before colliding with young Louisa as she walked with her parents.
He fled the scene shortly after 10am before being apprehended by police.
In the seven hours before the incident, Rehman consumed “at least 20 lines of cocaine”, the court heard.
Alongside his prison sentence, Rehman has been banned from driving for 13 years.
CCTV shown in court showed young Lulu walking with her parents, holding their hands.
Rehman then fails to stop at the junction, despite large stop signs and warnings written on the road.
The side of his van was then hit by an oncoming tram, forcing his vehicle on to the pavement and into the family, knocking the parents aside.
After crashing into the young girl, Rehman gets out of his car, grabs his phone and leaves the scene.
Prosecutor Rachel Shenton told the court the van's MOT had lapsed and there were a number of defects with the vehicle, though none was serious enough to have contributed to the incident.
David Toal, appearing for the defence, said his client had admitted to things the prosecution had no evidence for, which showed he was taking responsibility, and had planned to hand himself in to the police before his arrest.
He said: "An aggravating factor is that he left the scene - there is no excuse for this.
"His explanation is that he panicked and that panic turned into shock when he learned via social media that a young girl had lost her life."
In a statement following Lulu's death, her family, from Burnley, Lancashire, said: "Louisa was the sweetest, kindest, and most generous little girl.
"She was full of creativity and joy, and she absolutely loved going to nursery every day.
"Her absence has left a devastating void in our family - she was our only child, our whole world.
"We were simply enjoying a happy family day out in Manchester when this unimaginable tragedy struck.
"In an instant, our lives were shattered beyond repair.
"The pain of losing her is unbearable, and we miss her more than words can ever express."
