A NORTH-EAST mother fled court in tears as the man who killed her daughter left with only a £250 fine.

Charlene Ryan, 21, was with her 20-month-old daughter, Aisling Marie Nic-Suibhre, when they were hit by a car that mounted the pavement.

The driver, Stephen Thomas White, of Dellwood, Eglinton, Northern Ireland, denied causing death by dangerous driving - despite admitting not knowing the meaning of road signs urging caution.

Two juries failed to reach a verdict on the death by dangerous driving charge. On Friday, he was released and fined £250 after pleading guilty to careless driving.

Miss Ryan, from Haughton, in Darlington, left Belfast Crown Court in tears, too distraught to comment.

White, 17 at the time, was a "restricted driver" - meaning he was not supposed to exceed 45mph, despite the road's 60mph limit.

In Northern Ireland, new drivers have "R" plates for a year after passing their test.

White denied speeding, despite the prosecution arguing that forensic evidence proved he exceeded 45mph. The prosecution claimed he swerved to avoid an oncoming car.

Judge Patrick Lynch told White: "You failed to make a proper judgement - no doubt due to your lack of experience."

White, who had been driving for only two months before the accident, was banned from driving until he passes his test again.

Judge Lynch said: "It is hoped you drive with more caution than you did on this particular day."

He added that White's careless driving may have escaped detection had it not been for the "tragic coincidence" of Aisling, Miss Ryan, and her friend, Jayne Stevenson, 39, being there.

"Drivers, particularly inexperienced drivers, must remember a car is a potentially lethal weapon," Judge Lynch said.

The accident happened on a notorious stretch of Ardmore Road, in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, at 6pm on Sunday, May 15, 2005.

Miss Ryan, who had moved to Northern Ireland but was planning to return to Darlington, described the accident at court last year.

She said: "I was walking on the outside, pushing the pram.

"I heard a noise behind me, to my right. I saw a green-coloured car coming towards me."

She said the driver had his right hand on the steering wheel, while making frantic movements with his left. A front-seat passenger had his hands over his face.

The car mounted the pavement at a bend and hit Miss Ryan, her daughter and the other woman.

At White's second trial, Miss Ryan said: "I crawled over to Aisling because I could not walk - I was desperate to get to her.

"I wanted to unstrap her from her buggy. I just wanted to lift her; to hold her.

"We did not have much time to do anything about it - to get out of the way or anything."

Aisling was taken to hospital, but died from head injuries early the next morning.

Miss Ryan sustained injuries to her hip, back and neck, and Ms Stevenson's ankle was shattered.

The women were returning from arranging Aisling's Christening.

She was laid to rest in the dress she was due to wear.

Ardmore Road has a history of accidents, and the defence said drivers travelling under 45mph had also crashed there.