TWO teenagers have pleaded guilty to the parts they played in the hit and run death of a Mid Cheshire College student.

Ashley O’Brien was killed as he walked along Road One to his home in Collingtree Avenue, Winsford, after a night out on January 31.

The 17-year-old was hit by a red Vauxhall Corsa which was later found abandoned at the roundabout at the Northwich end of Road One.

The two boys, aged 16 and 17, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were arrested just hours after the former Verdin High School pupil died at the roadside at around 1.35am.

They were released on bail and after months of investigation, were finally charged on June 15.

Appearing at Chester Crown Court on Monday, November 12, the 16-year-old, believed to have been the driver, admitted causing death by dangerous driving; causing death by driving whilst disqualified, causing death whilst uninsured and aggravated vehicle taking resulting in an accident resulting in death.

The 17-year-old entered a guilty plea to a charge of allowing himself to be carried in a stolen vehicle when an accident occurred resulting in death.

Ashley’s father Stuart O’Brien was not in court to hear the plea but will be attending the sentencing in November.

He said: “We’ve been avoiding going until the final hearing but our family liaison officer went on our behalf and them both entering guilty pleas is far better than we could have expected.

“The judge warned them to expect custodial sentences. We will have to wait and see but hopefully they will both end up in prison.

“In a way, you kind of hope for a not guilty plea because that way they would have got a longer sentence.

“But we need to be able to draw a line under the legal side of things and this will all be resolved in three weeks.

“That feels like such a relief because we now know it’s going to end and we can try to go forward and try to get on with being normal, whatever that is.”