THE FATHER of a boy left for dead in a hit-and-run incident today branded the driver "heartless". Liam Brickell was left fighting for his life after he was struck by a car as he crossed the road at a pedestrian crossing with his mum Nicola Watkins. The driver, Mark Bousfield, had driven straight through a red light be f ore mowi n g d own th e three-year-old. Yesterday, Bousfield, 23, received a two-year jail sentence after he admitted dangerous driving and driving while disqualied. Liam's father Alan said he was delighted his young son had made a full recovery but today admitted he was lucky to be alive. He said: "I am glad that Bousfield received the maximum jail sentence for what he did. "I think what he did was heartless and it was a miracle that Liam survived and now seems to be back to his old self and is happily playing with his older sister." A hearing at Liverpool crown court was told that Bousfield, of Church Road, Ellesmere Port, sped away from the scene after he ran Liamover on June 24. Gus Iro, prosecuting, said: "The vehicle accelerated over Liam and drove away from the scene at a fast speed. "CCTV cameras showed the traffic lights to be on red. "A mother and daughter in a Nissan Micra witnessed the collision and pursued Bousfield's vehicle until it was abandoned in Wilton Street." He said that Bousfield and his female passenger ran away. The court heard Bousfield told his brother Richard, who had returned from serving as a soldier in Iraq, that he believed he may have killed a child. Richard Bousfield called the police and handed his brother in three days after the accident. Mr Iro told the court Bousfield had more than 18 convictions for motoring offences and had served a four-month prison sentence this year for driving while disqualified. Sentencing Bousfield, Judge Mark Brown told him: "You are callous and extremely cowardly." Robin Boag, defending, said: "He accepts he should have stopped." | 
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