THE devastated family of Emma Waters, who died after being crushed under a bus, branded the 12 month jail sentence handed down to the driver as "an insult to her memory."

The bubbly 19 year-old student died from horrific crush injuries hours after falling under the bus as she tried to make the driver stop after he suddenly drove away from the bus stop.

Bus driver Edward Terry, 57, of Shipstone Close, Walshaw, Bury, showed no emotion as Judge John Roberts at Bolton Crown Court sentenced him to 12 months jail for causing the death last year of Emma Waters by dangerous driving.

Judge Roberts told Terry that his failure to stop the bus when alerted by passengers: 'set the scene for this tragic accident to happen.'

" I am satisfied there was an element of impatience and that you caused the death of this young woman by the dangerous way you drove your bus."

Family and friends crowded into the court gallery to see sentence being passed. The distraught family had attended every day of the harrowing trial in August.

Disgrace

Emma's brother Clint Waters added: "The sentence was a disgrace to Emma's life. Terry showed an utter disregard for Emma's life.

" He showed no emotion at all and the sentence of 12 months is farcical, and he will only serve six months of that. The maximum for this charge is 10 years and I think he should have got five or six years at least.

" Emma was such a kind hearted person with such a generous nature who on the night she was killed was returning from taking her niece and younger brother from the fair.

" We will always remember Emma as she was - beautiful. True justice will be carried out by a higher power."

Her sister Vanessa Waters said the sentence was an insult to Emma's memory and that justice had not been done.

" He was a professional driver and it was his job to make sure an accident like that didn't happen.

" Emma was concerned to get her niece and younger brother home as it was getting dark but Terry only stopped at the bus stop for a matter of seconds and then drove off leaving people waiting to get on the bus."

The family are disgusted with both Terry and First Bus: "Up until today when Terry's barrister apologised we have never had an apology from First Bus or from Terry and they never sent any flowers or anything to us."

Emma died on September 8 last year at Bury Interchange Bus Station, when she was crushed by the rear wheels of a Volvo bus driven by Terry.

Terry had denied causing the death of Emma Waters by dangerous driving when the bus he was driving ran her over claiming he did not hear her banging on the bus doors and shouting for him to stop.

Emma, of Longridge Drive, Heywood, died from severe internal injuries three hours after the tragic accident.

She had probably fallen under the rear bus wheels when she lost her footing as she ran alongside the bus trying to attract the attention of the driver.

She had pursued the bus when Terry had set off after stopping for just 22 seconds and leaving at least six passengers behind.

Terry then steered the bus left and at that moment police evidence indicated that Emma lost her footing on a recessed rainwater grid and stumbled under the wheels.

Terry had denied hearing or seeing Emma as she desperately tried to stop the bus, despite passengers on the bus and witnesses in the station clearly hearing her shouting and banging on the bus doors.

Witnesses told the court they told the driver to stop but he ignored them and carried on driving even after he felt a bump which was the fatal moment when Emma was run over.