Latvian national admits killing 12-year-old boy in 2024 hit-and-run
Dolars Aleksanders pleaded guilty on Thursday at Warwick Crown Court to causing the death of Keaton Slater (West Midlands Police/PA) PA Media Matthew Cooper 1 minute ago A hit-and-run driver who fled to Latvia after killing a 12-year-old schoolboy has admitted causing death by dangerous driving.
Dolars Aleksanders, 23, pleaded guilty on Thursday at Warwick Crown Court to causing the death of Keaton Slater, who was pronounced dead at the scene after being hit by a BMW on Radford Road in Coventry on June 14 2024.
Aleksanders, originally from the Dobele area of Latvia, was extradited to the UK on August 5 this year after a long-running inquiry involving West Midlands Police and Europol.
A family photo of Keaton Slater (West Midlands Police/PA) PA Media Keaton’s parents, Louise and Clint Slater, were sitting in the public gallery of the court as Aleksanders entered a guilty plea via videolink from HMP Dovegate, near Uttoxeter.
Adjourning the case for sentence in November, Judge Matthew Walsh told Aleksanders: “You have entered your guilty plea to this very serious matter.
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“Plainly the sentence that you are going to have imposed upon you is to be a very long one.
“That will be determined by Her Honour Judge (Kristina) Montgomery KC on November 13.”
West Midlands Police said in a statement after the hearing that Aleksanders was driving a black BMW at more than 70mph when he struck Keaton, who was trying to cross the road, shortly after 4.30pm.
He drove off and the car was found abandoned more than six miles away about 20 minutes later.
Keaton’s relatives, many wearing T-shirts bearing the youngster’s picture, left court without commenting.
Tributes to 12-year-old Keaton left on Radford Road in 2024 (Matthew Cooper/PA) PA Archive His parents issued a written statement through West Midlands Police, reading: “For two years, we have struggled to come to terms with Keaton’s death while also having to live with the devastating feeling that justice has not been done.
“We have had to endure the heartbreak of losing our son while waiting, hoping and fighting for accountability.
“There have been days when the pain has felt unbearable, and days when it has been difficult to see a way forward.
5News aggregated this summary from the outlet’s public feed. The full article, with all the context, is on www.standard.co.uk — the content belongs to Evening Standard.
