Tributes paid to "beautiful and amazing" Rebecca Steer as killer faces life sentence
22-year-old Rebecca Steer was killed by Stephen McHugh in Oswestry.
The family of a young woman killed in Shropshire by a man who used his car as a "weapon" have paid tribute to her, as her killer faces a life sentence.
22-year-old Rebecca Steer was killed after being dragged under a car driven by Stephen McHugh in Oswestry last October.
The 28-year-old, originally from Fazakerley in Liverpool, told the court he had drunk six beers and 10 double shots of spirits, and taken up to seven lines of cocaine, before his Volvo mounted a footpath outside a takeaway.
Jurors convicted McHugh by majority 11-1 verdicts of murder and attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent.
He faces a life sentence when he appears today (4 May) at Stafford Crown Court.
Following his conviction, a statement from Rebecca’s family said: “Becca was and always will be 22 in our hearts, beautiful and amazing.
“Rebecca Adelaide Steer, Becca to us, Becky to everyone else was a pure joy to have as a daughter/sister and we all feel lucky to have had her in our lives, but we will always feel robbed.
“So many people have said how they feel so sorry for us and that is only natural, and we are totally humbled by it, but the person people should be feeling sorry for is not us at all, it's Becca. We all get to live a life, but through no fault of her own whatsoever, her life was taken from her by a few seconds of someone else's stupidity.
“Her 13-year-old sister Kimberley summed it up perfectly in her letter to Becca at her funeral, she said: 'Becca was doing so well in life, and some stupid idiot stole her away from us'."
McHugh had previously admitted the manslaughter of Rebecca Steer and the assault of another man causing actual bodily harm.
In the early hours of 9 October, McHugh drove at a crowd of pedestrians outside the Grill Out takeaway on Willow Road in Oswestry.
His car mounted the kerb and hit Rebecca, causing catastrophic injuries. She was taken to Royal Shrewsbury Hospital but sadly died shortly after arriving.
McHugh had previously admitted the manslaughter of Rebecca and the assault of another man, causing actual bodily harm.
But following a two-week trial g, he was convicted of murder and attempted grievous bodily harm.
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Mark Bellamy, said: “This was a horrendous attack which tragically robbed an innocent young woman of her life while she was enjoying a night out with friends.
“I’m pleased that justice has been done for Rebecca and my thoughts remain with her family. I pay tribute to the dignified way that they have conducted themselves throughout the trial, displaying venerable strength and resilience in listening to the contemptable and narcissistic behaviour of McHugh who continually lied throughout the trial in a desperate attempt to escape justice.
“I am grateful that the Jury saw through his web of lies and convicted him on the evidence presented to them by the exceptional Prosecution team of Mr Hegarty and Mr Williams."