Police officer charged with death by dangerous driving in crash that killed child actor and his aunt

Makayah McDermott and Rozanne Cooper died in in August 2016

Makayah McDermott was walking with his siblings when he was hit by a stolen car (Oli Regan/BAM/PA Wire)

A Met police officer has been charged with death by dangerous driving after a crash that killed a 10-year-old boy and his aunt.

PC Edward Welch, 32, faces four charges, including two counts of causing death by dangerous driving after Makayah McDermott and Rozanne Cooper were killed in a police chase nearly five years ago.

Joshua Dobby ploughed into Makaya, who had appeared in a TV commercial, and his aunt Ms Cooper, 34, after losing control of the stolen Ford Focus in August 2016.

He drove four times over the speed limit of 20mph, the wrong way down a one way street, through a number of red lights, and was still travelling at 50mph as he mounted the kerb.

Ms Cooper had been walking down the busy road in Penge, south-east London, with her daughter Eva, Makayah and his older twin sisters Niyah and Yahla, 13, when the car hit them. The three girls were taken to hospital for their injuries but survived the crash.

Dobby stole the car after finding the keys in the street and was on his way to sell it to buy drugs, the Old Bailey heard when he was jailed for 12 years in February 2017.

Police abandoned their chase as he drove at 80mph through red lights and through a 30mph zone at 70mph in Penge, the court was told.

After pleading guilty, Dobby was jailed for 12 years concurrently after admitting two counts of manslaughter as well as three years and four months in prison for causing serious injury by dangerous driving on August 31, 2016, and 16 months for dangerous driving five days earlier.

Eight months after Dobby was imprisoned, the police watchdog, the IOPC, announced an investigation was being launched and that the two officers involved in the chase could face criminal charges.

Today the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said PC Welch was charged with causing death by dangerous driving over the deaths of Makayah and Ms Cooper.

The 32-year-old officer faces four charges, including two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, one count of causing injury by dangerous driving and one count of dangerous driving.

A second PC who was with PC Welch has not been charged as the CPS concluded there was no legal basis for prosecution.

Welch‘s court date and venue for his first appearance has not yet been fixed, the CPS said.

Additional reporting by SWNS