Zackary Blades: Darryl Anderson admits death by dangerous driving after car crash that killed eight-month-old boy and his aunt | UK news

Darryl Anderson was driving his Audi Q5 when he collided with a Peugeot 308. Zackary Blades and Karlene Warner were killed, while Zackary’s mother, Shalorna Warner, suffered minor injuries.

A man who killed an eight-month-old boy and his 30-year-old aunt by crashing his car into theirs has admitted two counts of dangerous driving causing death.

Darryl Anderson, 38, was behind the wheel of his Audi Q5 when he crashed into a Peugeot 308 on the A1 in County Durham on May 31, killing Zackary Blades and Karlene Warner.

Zackary’s mother, Shalorna Warner, was driving the Peugeot at the time of the fatal collision between Chester-le-Street and Durham at around 3.15am.

She suffered minor injuries, Durham police said.

Anderson, of Clarell Walk, Thorpe Hesley, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, appeared before Durham Crown Court via videolink from prison and pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter.

About 30 grieving relatives were in the audience to hear his confession.

Refusal to possess weapons

Anderson denied possessing a knife and an axe without permission at the time of the accident, and the prosecution accepted his plea of ​​not guilty.

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After the crash, Shalorna Warner and Zackary’s father, Jack Blades, paid their last respects to their son.

“I’m so sorry you never got to grow up,” they said.

“Our little Zack – Mommy and Daddy love you so much, you didn’t deserve all this. You were such a happy, cheeky boy.

“I’m so sorry this happened – our hearts are truly broken. We will never forget you, you will always be in our hearts.”

“Very difficult hearing”

The family also paid tribute to Ms Warner, saying: “How can we put into words what a wonderful mother, partner, daughter, sister, granddaughter, aunt, niece and friend Karlene was?

“You light up every room you walk into like the bright shining diamond that you were. You had so much to look forward to in life and it was taken away from you.”

Some harrowing details about the accident were not disclosed to the family until after it was known that Anderson would plead guilty, Judge Joanne Kidd said.

They will have time to process what they have learned before giving their victim impact statements ahead of what they expect to be a “very difficult hearing” next week.

When the judge asked defense attorney Richard Dawson if he wanted to comment, he replied: “We just want to express our sympathy and condolences to the bereaved family in this case.”

Anderson was remanded in custody pending sentencing, which is scheduled for July 9.