Mum of tragic boy who was killed in Milton Keynes tells of '˜bright little character'

Speaking outside court after the sentencing, Riley’s mother Grazyna Ferguson said: “Nothing is going to bring our boy back.

“No custodial sentence, no trial nothing, that could have been avoided if the acceptance at the beginning for the actions had been admitted from the beginning we wouldn’t have to be here speaking to you guys.”

Her husband and Riley’s father, Barry added: “It has been very difficult it has never been about a custodial sentence as my wife has said.

“It was more for the ownership of the driver that he has done something wrong from the very beginning.

“To us it was about respect for our Riley so he can lay in peace and the guy to actually own up to what he has done that is all we wanted.

“We haven’t made any statements before because we are quite a private family and we just hope everyone out there understands what we have been through and we hope nobody goes through this themselves.”

Mrs Ferguson, who met her husband at the company where they both work, added: “We are so grateful for all the support we have been given since the day of the accident.

“From Thames Valley Police and the amazing officers who have been helping us, they went to immense lengths to keep us together and that situation and the trials.”

She also thanked the Helen and Douglas House Hospice which cared for Riley his final moments.

A heartbroken Mrs Ferguson added: “They (hospice) let us have a decent family goodbye that we had with the last moments of his life.”

She readout a list of words Riley’s class mates choose to describe him at a memorial service, which included “very kind”, “liked to ask questions”, “friendly”, “clever”, “sporty” among many more.

Mrs Ferguson said: “He was a character, a bright little character, the questions he came up will stay with us until the next time we see him.”

Mr Ferguson said: “He just wanted to have fun, he just wanted to play all the time, he wore us out on many occasions.”