Driver pleads guilty to killing girl, 3, after cocaine binge in Manchester

Rawal Rehman, 35, admitted to causing the death of three-year-old Louisa 'Lulu' Palmisano by dangerous driving after consuming at least 20 lines of cocaine during an all-night binge and visiting two massage parlours. On February 22, Rehman drove his Mercedes Sprinter van into a tram in central Manchester, causing the vehicle to mount the pavement and fatally strike Lulu, who was on a family outing with her parents. Rehman fled the scene but was later arrested; he pleaded guilty at Manchester Crown Court and now awaits sentencing. Prosecutors stated that his driving was severely impaired by drug use and that he ignored stop and tram warning signs, giving the tram driver no chance to react. Lulu's family described her as their 'only child, our whole world,' and said her loss had left a devastating void. Rehman, who has a prior conviction related to another fatal collision, faces a possible life sentence.