Moment van driver 'who took 20 lines of cocaine' before killing girl, 3, arrested

This is the moment a driver who took "at least 20 lines of " before smashing into and was arrested by . Bodycam footage released by Greater Police captured the moment Rawal Rehman, 36, was tackled to the ground by officers who stormed a property and handcuffed him as he repeatedly cried “I’m sorry”.

Rehman, of Lambton Road, Chorlton, lost control of his Sprinter van before it struck three-year-old Louisa Palmisano on a pavement in Manchester city centre on February 22. The youngster had been with her parents on a family trip to the city when Rehman’s vehicle slammed into a tram, forcing his van onto the pavement where it collided with the three-year-old and both her parents.

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He then fled the scene of the collision in Mosley Street at roughly 10am before he was later arrested. Rehman was jailed for 12 years at Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday. Prosecutor Rachel Shenton said he had visited two massage parlours in the city in the early hours of February 22 before the fatal collision.

She told Manchester Crown Court that the defendant had taken "at least 20 lines of cocaine" in the space of seven hours.

Following the youngster's death, her family from Burnley, Lancashire, said in a heartbreaking tribute: "Louisa (Lulu) 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 .

"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."

In a statement, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said Rehman ignored stop signs and gave the tram driver no time to react before it struck the side of the van, which then mounted the pavement.

Abbie Clarke, senior crown prosecutor for CPS North West, said: “Our thoughts go out to Lulu’s family who must bear this unimaginable loss. Rawal Rehman ignored the stop signs and tram warning signs when he drove straight into the path of an oncoming tram, and it is clear his driving fell far short of what is expected of a competent and careful driver.

“Rehman failed to take responsibility for his actions. He fled the scene in a taxi and denied that he drove dangerously in interview, only accepting responsibility on his third hearing before the court. He must now face the consequences for his role in this wholly avoidable tragedy.”

In 2017 Rehman was jailed for three years for conspiracy to pervert the course after he torched a car involved in a fatal hit-and-run collision which killed a 25-year-old man in Chorlton, Manchester. Rehman was remanded in custody until sentencing on May 27 for a pre-sentence report to be prepared