Eastbourne man pleads guilty to dangerous driving after Hastings boy, 11, died in collision near Bexhill

Russell Le Beau, 34, of the Devonshire area of Eastbourne, appeared at Lewes Crown Court yesterday (Thursday, September 14).

He will be sentenced on November 2, police confirmed.

He had originally pleaded not guilty to the charge at an earlier court hearing in May.

Harry Dennis, 11, who attended The Hastings Academy, died as a result of the injuries he suffered in the collision in Hooe last December.

Officers were called to the the scene on the B2095 at about 3.05pm on December 15 following a collision between a car and a flatbed van.

The ambulance service attended and Harry was airlifted to hospital with life-threatening injuries.

He died as a result of his injuries on December 17, police said.

A Sussex Police spokesperson said following an investigation by the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, Le Beau was charged with causing death by dangerous driving.

Harry was posthumously honoured with the Order of St John Award for Organ Donation after his organs were donated to help others.

Following the award, Harry’s mum Maria said: “Harry was a whirlwind, just absolutely full of life. He loved his sports and being outside, he had so many friends, he was the joker. If he made you laugh it made his day.

“He loved football, Manchester United, and he played for Hastings Athletic. He made lots of friends through football and was a real social butterfly, always talking to people when we were out and about.

“He had just started secondary school and had settled well, he took kids under his wing and was really kind and caring.

“Harry has left a big hole, it seems so quiet and empty with him missing, which is what is so hard. He had such an impact on so many people.”

Harry helped five people, donating his kidneys, pancreas and liver which was split to help more than one person.