An epileptic mum who killed her toddler daughter when she crashed her car in Plumstead after a seizure has been spared jail.

Chidinma Anya, 45, was in a car with 18-month-old Eugenie when she crashed into a van in King’s Highway on November 11, 2015.

She lost control of her car when she suffered a seizure and drifted into the wrong lane and onto a grass verge before returning to her lane.

Anya, who was doing up to 54mph in a 30mph zone, regained control but moments later she drifted out again, mounted the kerb and ploughed into self-employed electrician Dean Snow in his van.

London Ambulance, fire brigade, police and air ambulance all went to the scene of the crash at 12.20pm.

Eugenie, who it emerged had not been put in a seat designed for an older, much bigger child in the back of the blue Vauxhall Zafira, suffered devastating injuries to her neck and internal organs. She died in hospital on November 22.

Anya and her three-year-old child Grace, who was also in the car at the time, were taken to hospital too, as was Mr Snow who required an operation and lengthy recovery.

Mum-of-three Anya took daily epilepsy medication after she was shot in the head during an armed robbery in 2000.

Anya, who had driven daily since she passed her test in 2014, had not told the DVLA or insurers about her condition.

She broke her hip and leg in the crash and now has a metal plate in her leg and occasionally uses a walking stick.

Anya appeared at the Old Bailey on August 29 where she pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury to the van driver.

She was handed a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, and disqualified from driving for 10 years.

Tarquin Mccalla, in mitigation, said going to prison would "almost feel like the accident happening again" and told the court that Anya's seizures had got worse since the crash.

He said: "She had not suffered a seizure to the extent that she did on that day at all behind the wheel of a car.

"Sending her to prison would almost feel like the accident happening again, the children would be devastated by the loss of their mother.

"She was taking medication and did not appreciate that full control was impossible.

"She accepts she had a seizure, it was an immense shock.

"To get behind the wheel that day demonstrates poor decision making to say the least, it is an action that will live with her forever."

DC Suzanne Gates, the officer who led the investigation, said: “This is a tragic case where a mother's actions have led to the death of her young baby and put into serious danger the life of her other child and the van driver she collided with.

“This case draws attention to the importance of ensuring that the correct child safety restraints are used whilst travelling on the roads.”