Keegan Doyle (pictured at an earlier hearing) has been jailed for ploughing into a schoolboy, leaving him with catastrophic head injuries, while he was acting as the getaway driver for a shoplifter

A getaway driver didn't even slow down after he slammed into a 10-year-old, leaving him with serious brain injuries, then told police: 'I have done nothing wrong except hit the kid on the bike.'

Keegan Doyle, 23, ran over Alfie Watts as he drove at speeds of up to 60mph down a residential street in Saltney, near Chester in January.

Alfie, who was out playing with his friends, was thrown into the air and was found with blood coming out of his mouth and a gash on his head. He remains in hospital two months on from the tragic hit and run.

Doyle, who attended an earlier hearing at Mold Crown Court in a stained sweatshirt and sporting a black eye, failed to stop at the scene and later tried to set fire to the Ford Fiesta to destroy any evidence of the crash.

Paramedics fear Alfie was so badly injured that he would not survive an air ambulance flight so he was carefully taken to Liverpool's Alder Hey Children's Hospital by road.

Alfie Watts remains in hospital two months on from the crash in Saltney, a court heard

Doyle (pictured, left, after his arrest and, right, outside court today) could be free in two years. It is thought Doyle was beaten up by his accomplices after the crash in a bid to prevent him telling police who they were

In a heart-breaking victim statement, Alfie's mother Zoe said the crash had completely changed her life.

She told the court: 'I ran to the scene and I saw a flood of emergency lights.

'I was hoping I would pick him up and take him home for his tea but I quickly realised that would not be happening.

'I didn't even have time to give him a kiss. We sat at his bedside praying for him to wake up.'

Doyle, who had been the getaway driver for a shoplifter, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and arson.

The court heard that, as he was being booked into custody, he said he had 'done nothing wrong except for hitting a kid on a bike'.

Judge Niclas Parry jailed Doyle, of Broughton, for three years and eight months.

He is likely to be released after spending half of that term behind bars, and will serve the rest on licence.

While Alfie fought for his life in hospital, Doyle tried to claim he'd 'done nothing wrong'

He was also banned from driving for four years and 10 months, with the ban coming into effect when he is released from jail.

The judge branded Doyle 'utterly cowardly and selfish', adding: 'It's difficult to imagine a far worse case.'

Judge Parry said: 'On January 6 the life of a bright, active, happy ten-year-old boy was changed irreversibly. He suffered potentially life-changing injuries.'

Speaking after today's court hearing, the family of Alfie Watts said in a statement: 'We would like to thank everyone who have wished Alfie well and who have supported him, and us as a family, through an extremely difficult time. We have been overwhelmed with the love and kindness that has been shown.''

We would also like to thank all those who stopped to assist at the time of the incident - your actions undoubtedly helped save our son's life. Our sincere thanks also go to all the emergency services who responded and to the staff at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool who continue to provide the best care for Alfie.'

The crash happened in this residential street in Saltney as Alfie cycled to the local park

Sergeant Liam Ho, of the North Wales Roads Policing Unit, said: 'When Doyle drove at speed and struck Alfie with his car he will have been in no doubt that the victim would have been left, at best, with extremely serious injuries. At worst he could have been killed.

'Our thoughts remain with Alfie, who was left with significant injuries because of what Doyle did that day, as he continues to undergo treatment at Alder Hey Hospital.

'We are pleased that Doyle is now facing justice for his cowardly act and hope that the sentence reinforces our message that we will do everything we can to find people who commit such offences and bring them before the courts.'