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Bus driver who killed girl, 9, after smashing into her while high on drugs is jailed as father pays touching tribute
A BUS driver who knocked down and killed a nine-year-old girl when he fell asleep after taking drugs has been jailed for four years.
Martin Asolo-Agogua, 23, had been up all night at a social event when he struck Ada Bicakci with the double decker in Bexleyheath, South East London.
Emergency services arrived at the scene on Watling Street at 9.03am on August 3 last year.
Despite their best efforts, the youngster tragically couldn’t be saved and died two days later.
Ada, a Turkish and British national, was a “keen” gymnast and swimmer, according to tributes.
Her five-year-old brother was also taken to hospital following the crash.
Officers drug-tested Asolo-Ogugua at the scene, which he failed.
The Met Police arrested him on suspicion of causing serious injury through dangerous driving and drug-driving.
Asolo-Ogugua was today sentenced at Woolwith Crown Court for causing the nine-year-old’s death.
The court heard he fell asleep at the wheel, after having taken cannabis the night before.
He mounted the opposite pavement as Ada was riding her bike with her family.
Detectives from the Met’s Roads and Transport team later trawled through CCTV evidence that revealed Asolo-Oguguathe first drove the bus out of the depot at around 8.45am.
They were able to capture the exact moment he fell asleep, and saw the bus swerve cross the carriageway.
Asolo-Oguguathe was charged in February earlier this year with causing death by dangerous driving while under influence of drugs as well as driving while over the drug limit.
He admitted both offences at Woolwich Crown Court in April.
Asolo-Ogugua, of Banfield Road, Southwark, was today jailed for four years.
The 23-year-old has also been disqualified from driving for seven years.
‘PILLARS OF STRENGTH’
Detective Sergeant Sam Miles, who led the investigation, said:
“Asolo-Ogugua will have to spend the rest of his life regretting the night he chose to stay awake before getting behind the wheel of a bus with cannabis in his system.
“It’s a night that has cost him his freedom and snatched away the life of an innocent little girl.
“Ada had her whole life ahead of her.
“She lived in the area and attended a local primary school where she was a popular and happy pupil.
“In a remarkable show of courage and humility, Ada’s family chose to take her life forward to help others by donating her organs.
“I can only hope today’s sentence brings some closure for Ada’s family who have remained a pillar of strength throughout these proceedings.”
FAMILY HEARTBREAK
Ada’s organs were donated and she went on to help six other people following her tragic death, her family said.
They also previously shared two pictures of their daughter, including one that shows her having had her hair cut for donation.
The nine-year-old was a Turkish-British national that lived in Bexleyheath with her family and attended a local primary school.
In a heartwrenching statement shared by the Met Police, Ada’s father, Bora, said: “The images of that horrific moment remain seared into my mind. That scene replays endlessly, a constant reminder of the day my world fractured beyond repair.
“This tragedy happened on my watch, a father’s ultimate failure. My world has been turned upside down, and with it, the foundations of my family have crumbled.
“My darling Ada. Our thanks are not enough to show our gratitude for you. We will honour your name with acts of magnitude. You will never be forgotten.
“We will make this story one of love and thanks that we owe everybody. Your presence, and passing, will leave a mark in this country and we will fight to make drug driving a part of its history.”
‘RECKLESS AND UTTERLY SELFISH’
Senior Crown Prosecutor, Miranda Jollie, of the Crown Prosecution Service, added: “Asolo-Ogugua was reckless and utterly selfish to get behind the wheel of a bus after consuming drugs and put many lives at risk that day.
“His actions have robbed a young girl of her entire life. Our thoughts remain with Ada’s family and friends as they try to come to terms with their unimaginable loss
“I hope his sentence today can help to bring some closure for Ada’s family and highlight the devastating consequences of drug driving.”
Tinkering with smartphone rules won’t save our kids – the damage they do means we must BAN them now
ARE we finally witnessing the tide turning against kids’ use of smartphones?
Head teachers are now calling for a limit on children’s screen time and the government is considering an “app curfew.”
The government’s Technology Secretary Peter Kyle has said he wants to “break some of the addictive behaviour” of the online world.
Okay B+ for effort Peter but could try harder. ‘Some’ was your downfall.
There’s no such thing as temperance when it comes to smartphones. They’re unputdownable.
A two-hour cap on each app is better than nothing but with Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok being just three of children’s favourite brain-melters this is already six hours of social media before they’ve even got out their homework.
The idea of a curfew with a 10pm cut-off point is also a good one but come on, go tougher on the app limits – make it a two-hour total – or, grow a pair and illegalise social media for the Under 16s.
None of them would miss it and they might actually meet up with a friend, kick a football around or read a book.
The ‘nanny state’ has a bad rap as a concept, and quite rightly when it comes to adults – let us do what we want please.
But when children are malfunctioning this seriously a nanny state is exactly what we need.
We parents are doing our best, but we just can’t do it alone.
Peer pressure is immense. What parent hasn’t felt cruel denying their child a phone to “keep up with friends” and ended up surrendering?
But smartphones are turning fun-loving and inquisitive children into hollow addicts the minute they get hold of them.
The premise that smartphones are “connecting” our children in a positive fashion is false.
Because rather than playing with their friends or family they are alone in the rooms with their phones.
The Sun’s revelation last week that a Year 6 primary school student received 9,000 messages on Whatsapp over a 15 hour period reveals exactly what we are up against.
The stats are truly horrific.
More than a million British children per year are referred to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Services, the vast majority suffering from severe depression, anxiety, self-harm, eating disorders and suicidal behaviour.
Conspiracy theories
It is not surprising when they are subject to graphic images of real murders, massacres and terrifyingly violent porn, algorithms feeding on their insecurities and sending them more and more damaging content.
Children are encouraged to take part in potentially lethal games and challenges, resulting in many accidental deaths.
Girls are told that anorexia is empowering then sent starvation tips and ‘how to make mum think you’ve eaten your dinner’ pointers.
Children are fed conspiracy theories, radicalising their eager young minds, they’re connected to gang members in their area, they’re groomed, sextorted, preyed on and they’re even told how to kill themselves.
While government action is welcome, none of the restrictions suggested go nearly far enough.
Why can’t we get tough like Australia and New Zealand and ban social media for the Under 16s?
Why can’t we get tough like Australia and New Zealand and ban social media for the Under 16s?
Or the 16 US states which have done the same thing? Or France – where all pornography users now have to verify their age using government ID or a credit card.
Britain was meant to lead the way in child safety with the Online Safety Act.
But Ofcom, responsible for implementing the legislation, is just not as tough as many international regulators.
Or why can’t we ban smartphones for the Under 16s and come up with a brand new product – a child-appropriate, safe phone with limited app functionality for things like banking and travel, simple calls and texts?
Also UK, just STOP IT with the EdTech (educational technology)!!! We don’t want our kids drowning in screen time during class and for their homework!!
Sure, teach them how to use AI judiciously in senior school but no more of these silly apps masquerading as educational PLEASE.
Doctors advise that children up to 17 should not be spending more than 1-2 hours a day on any form of screen
Doctors advise that children up to 17 should not be spending more than 1-2 hours a day on any form of screen.
Schools have a responsibility to heed this advice.
Not only is too much screen time bad for children’s eyesight but it damages their sleep rhythms, their hormones, their spinal health and their attention spans.
Bill Gates himself has admitted that ‘devices have a lousy record in the classroom’.
Steve Jobs didn’t let his own kids have iPads.
UNESCO found that children who used computers frequently in the classroom did a ‘lot worse’ academically than their book-based peers.
A massive study by educational researcher John Jerrim showed that students who revised for academic tests by reading books and handwriting outperformed their computer-based counterparts twenty times over – the equivalent of six months of extra school!!
Sweden has kicked screens out of the classroom, reverting to books, pen and paper. They called EdTech a ‘failed experiment’
Sweden has kicked screens out of the classroom, reverting to books, pen and paper.
They called EdTech a ‘failed experiment’.
Many Big Tech employees in the US send their children to low or no-tech schools such as the Waldorf School of the Peninsula in California.
So why does our government continue to listen to social media and EdTech firms when they argue that their products are good for our children?
Where is the clinical evidence?
Because few children or parents believe it.
I have spoken to countless teens around the country and they all say that they’re only on social media ‘because everyone else is’.
Most would love to be liberated from it all and free to learn, relax, have fun and sleep well
Most would love to be liberated from it all and free to learn, relax, have fun and sleep well.
A survey last year found that 77 percent of parents wanted a smartphone ban for under 16s.
Saving our youngest, most vulnerable minds from these corrosive devices is a vote-winner.
Come on, Peter Kyle. Must do better.
Teachers want it, parents want it and children want it.
It’s time the government wanted it too.
- Sophie Winkleman is an actress and campaigner
Football fans’ most exciting part of matchday revealed in study – and ‘deeply meaningful’ moment may surprise you
FOOTBALL fans get a bigger rush from the pre-match pint than from the game itself, a study suggests.
Supporters’ interactions with friends were found to be “deeply meaningful” and the most exciting part of matchday.
The findings are from 17 hard-core fans fitted with heart rate monitors ahead of a final.
The participants were tracked for four hours before the game then 90 minutes of action.
A large, prolonged and collective spike came during the time spent with mates before kick-off.
The only time there was a bigger rush was when the Brazilian fans’ team scored in the first half of a game near Rio de Janeiro — but the high did not last as long.
Researcher Professor Dimitris Xygalatas, from the University of Connecticut, said: “What we see is that the pre-game ritual generates more emotion than the game itself.
“There’s just one moment in the entire game when they have more collective emotion, and that’s when they scored a goal.
“Rituals are the kinds of things that, at first glance, don’t make any sense in terms of human behaviour, but are deeply meaningful to people.”
Prof Xygalatas, a fan of Greek football, said the same effect also probably applied to concerts, festivals and religious events.
He added: “Our study supports the idea that sports are about more than just the game.”
Six of the best long-haul holidays to take this summer from beautiful beach resorts to affordable luxe hotels
HOLIDAYMAKERS are hungry for long-haul getaways this year – and it is no surprise, considering the soaring costs in popular European hotspots.
Thomas Cook has reported a ten per cent year-on-year increase in bookings for far-flung breaks and recent research from holiday operator On The Beach found getaways to Europe could easily set you back more than to farther afield.
On The Beach’s Zoe Harris said: “The gap between long-haul prices and short-haul has decreased and the idea of a new, far-out destination is clearly pulling a lot of Brits, hence why bookings are up.”
So, why not save your pennies and ditch your favourite sunshine spot for somewhere new and maybe even more exotic?
Sophie Swietochowski shares her pick of long-haul holidays for short-haul prices . . .
KANDY, SRI LANKA
SAVE around £500, if you swap a £1,200pp holiday on the Greek island of Santorini for a £769pp seven-night adventure at the 4* Radisson Hotel in the mountainous city of Kandy.
Sri Lanka, where coconut palms line the roads and wild elephants roam freely, is often reserved for special occasions, but with prices like this, it doesn’t need to be.
Carved into the hillside, the resort’s modern and simple bedrooms come with lush views of tropical greenery.
Going with a breakfast-only package means you can tuck into plates of fresh fruit piled on top of hot waffles and thick yoghurt before setting off for a day exploring the beautiful country.
Kandy is the cultural capital of the island and is littered with intricately decorated temples.
GO: Seven nights’ B&B costs from £769pp including flights from Heathrow on September 8. 2025. See loveholidays.com.
Orlando, US
THRILLSEEKERS should look to Florida instead of Europe for their summer break this year.
The Disney parks are just 15 minutes by car from the 3* Sonesta ES Suites Orlando Lake Buena Vista, where a week costs less than £800pp with TUI.
But if you were to head to Paris – home to the European Disneyland – at the same time of year, you’d struggle to bag a TUI package for less than £1,000pp.
You can use the cash you have saved on travel costs to pay a visit to Epic Universe, the first new theme park to come to Orlando in 25 years.
When you are not being thrown upside down on a roller-coaster, the palm tree-laden ES Suites is the perfect place to relax with barbecue grills in the gardens, for guests to use.
GO: Seven nights’ self-catering costs from £759pp based on two sharing a one-bedroom apartment and includes flights from Gatwick on 15. See tui.co.uk.
DUBAI, UAE
THE glittering skyscrapers of Dubai are easier than ever to reach, and you could save a fair whack by heading here for around £700pp instead of Spain’s Marbella, where a week’s break in July can cost upwards of £1,000pp.
Well positioned – less than a five-minute drive from cultural sites like the Jumeirah Mosque and under ten minutes from glam beach clubs like Nikki Beach – the 4* Jumeira Rotana is an ideal base for first-timers.
Temperatures can reach 40C in summer, but don’t let that put you off, as many of the city’s top attractions are air-conditioned.
Make your way to the top of the Burj Khalifa skyscraper to soak up the best views of the skyline.
Or, if you really need to cool down, head to Ski Dubai, with 22,500 square metres of ski slopes.
GO: Seven nights’ B&B costs from £723pp including flights from Manchester on July 2. See travelsupermarket.com.
PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REP
WHEN it comes to fly-and-flop breaks, you may want to consider opting for the Dominican Republic over the Greek islands.
A 4* break in Mykonos will cost £2,700pp in June, much more than this On The Beach deal to Punta Cana for £739pp.
The chic Sunscape Coco Punta Cana is a sleepy 4* resort on the Dominican Republic’s eastern coast, where temperatures reach a balmy 32C towards the end of this month.
Expect white-sand beaches overlooking turquoise waters, cocktails and a cushioned cabana shaded by palms.
This place has everything within easy reach.
There’s an outdoor pool, private beach, casino, poolside bar, watersports centre, a la carte restaurant, beach volleyball, spa and more.
And with an all-inclusive package, the only thing you need to focus on is topping up your tan.
GO: Seven nights’ all-inclusive costs from £739pp including flights from Gatwick on June 21. See onthebeach.co.uk.
MUSCAT, OMAN
IF you are a fan of Dubai, but want somewhere more affordable, the Middle Eastern gem of Oman is the UAE’s laid-back sister.
A 5* luxury holiday at the Sheraton Oman Hotel, will only set you back £669pp.
This price is staggeringly low if you compare it with a stay in a European Sheraton hotel – a package for its Mallorca hotel during the same week is just shy of £1,200pp with British Airways.
Muscat is a great spot for culture vultures – home to winding souks crammed with spices, breathtakingly beautiful mosques that shimmer in the sun and golden sand dunes stretching for miles.
Make sure to take advantage of the hotel’s outdoor Courtyard Oasis, crammed with tropical plants, a restaurant and the spa – which claims to be one of the best in Oman.
GO: Seven nights’ B&B costs from £669pp including flights from Heathrow on July 8. See loveholidays.com
KHAO LAK, THAILAND
WE’VE all got White Lotus fever.
But instead of visiting Sicily (where the second series was filmed), head to Thailand (the location for series three) to bag a proper bargain.
A seven-night TUI package at the 4* The Leaf On The Sands, by Katathani costs just over £800pp, while a holiday in a 4* hotel in Sicily, during the same week, could set you back about £1,000pp or more.
Surrounded by tropical greenery, in the beach resort region of Khao Lak, a little north of Phuket, The Leaf On The Sands offers two swimming pools where you can catch the rays while listening to birdsong.
Do not get too comfy, though, as there is so much adventure waiting – treks through the Lam Ru National Park, trips to the Wat Suwan Khuha Temple or snorkelling around a shipwreck.
GO: Seven nights’ B&B is from £838pp including flights from Heathrow on September 11. See tui.co.uk.
Fury as BA calls Falkland Islands capital by its ARGENTINIAN name in ‘ludicrous and insulting’ blunder
BRITISH Airways has been branded disgraceful for using the Argentinian name for the capital of the Falklands Islands on in-flight entertainment screens.
The UK’s flag carrier airline refers to Port Stanley as Puerto Argentino.
The British title is relegated to a set of brackets underneath.
Ed West, of The Spectator magazine, spotted the blunder and said: “Curious wording for a British Airways in-flight map.”
Last night, BA promised to investigate as the error was described as “ludicrous” and “insulting” by Falklands war veterans.
Argentina still claims sovereignty but its invading forces lost the 74-day conflict in 1982.
British forces scrambled halfway around the world to put down General Leopoldo Galtieri’s troops after they took Port Stanley in a surprise raid.
This Saturday is the 43rd anniversary of Britain’s victory.
Former head of the Royal Navy, Admiral Lord West, who won the Distinguished Service Cross during the war, said the name error was “disrespectful” to islanders.
He told The Sun: “It’s disgraceful.
“The Falklands are a British overseas territory and 99.9 per cent of islanders want to stay British.
“We have said very clearly there will be no discussions about sovereignty.
“For the flag carrier airline to give Port Stanley another name is unforgivable.”
Lord West, whose HMS Ardent was sunk by Argentine forces, added: “I don’t know why they would do it.
“Everyone on the Falkland Islands calls it Port Stanley.
“They should change it back as soon as possible.
“This is insulting to the population of Port Stanley.”
In all, 255 British personnel lost their lives defending the islands.
In 2017 Argentina’s senate voted to rename Port Stanley as Puerto Argentino and celebrate Sovereignty Day there if it is ever recaptured.
The in-flight map shows only the names of world capitals and not countries’ names.
It means BA does not reference the Falklands by its Argentinian name Islas Malvinas.
British Airways’ parent company, International Airlines Group, is based in Spain.
A BA spokeswoman said: “We are grateful this has been brought to our attention.
“We’ll be reviewing it with the third party supplier that provides the in-flight map service.”
