The heartbroken parents of a toddler killed by a Bulgarian migrant who spent several minutes watching TikTok videos while driving have condemned the “appalling choices” that robbed their son of his future.
Hristo Iliev, 32, was jailed for more than 11 years after admitting causing the death of 20 month old Finley Baker by dangerous driving. The fatal collision happened on 19 March 2025 near Sleaford, Lincolnshire, as Finley’s mother, Chloe Baker, was driving her two children home from an after school club.
Lincoln Crown Court heard Iliev was distracted by his mobile phone for around seven minutes before the crash, during which he repeatedly unlocked the device to watch TikTok videos, briefly used the Apple TV app and cleared notifications instead of concentrating on the road.
As traffic slowed near a roundabout, Iliev failed to react until he was just 20 feet from Mrs Baker’s Kia. His Volkswagen Passat slammed into the back of the vehicle with devastating force, pushing it into another stationary car.
Finley suffered catastrophic head injuries and was airlifted to hospital, where doctors fought to save his life. Two days later, his parents made the agonising decision to switch off his life support while holding him in their arms.
Mrs Baker suffered a badly dislocated arm along with cuts and bruises, while another child travelling in the car was knocked unconscious and sustained a leg injury and a chipped tooth.
In an emotional victim impact statement, Finley’s parents described their son as the light of their family whose life was stolen in the most senseless way imaginable.
“Finley entered the world like a little ray of sunshine,” they said. “He was the missing piece of our family puzzle. He brought us so much happiness and was loved beyond words.”
The couple remembered their son as a cheerful, curious little boy with sparkling blue eyes and a smile that lit up every room. He adored dancing with his older brother, loved reading books, riding his balance bike, exploring the outdoors and meeting dogs on family walks.
His parents said those precious memories are all they have left after one reckless decision changed their lives forever.
“Appalling choices made the day we lost Finley mean we never get to hear his little voice again,” they said.
“We will never take him to his first day of school or watch him perform in a school play. We will never see him grow into the man he was meant to become, get married or have children of his own. His entire future was stolen from him.”
The grieving couple described losing a child as something no parent should ever experience.
“It splits your life into two. There is the before and there is the after. We will carry the Finley shaped hole in our hearts forever.”
They also thanked members of the public who rushed to help at the scene and praised emergency workers for their compassion and determination in securing justice for their son.
Investigators uncovered overwhelming digital evidence after seizing Iliev’s mobile phone. Prosecutors said the data showed he had partially watched at least six TikTok videos, opened other apps and manually dismissed several notifications in the minutes leading up to the collision.
Jeremy Janes, prosecuting, told the court that the phone records provided the clearest explanation for why the crash occurred.
“The use of the mobile phone was prolonged. It lasted for minutes,” he said.
The court also heard Iliev had already been caught using a mobile phone while driving just a year before the fatal collision. In March 2024, he received six penalty points after police spotted him using his phone behind the wheel near Gainsborough.
Despite initially denying he had been using his phone and claiming he had kept a safe distance from Mrs Baker’s car, the digital evidence proved otherwise.
Judge Simon Hirst said Iliev’s actions showed an extraordinary level of recklessness.
“The reason you did not notice Mrs Baker slowing down and stopping was because you were watching videos on your phone,” the judge said.
“You lied to the police when you denied using your phone.”
The judge added that Iliev’s previous mobile phone offence made the latest case even more serious because he had already been warned about the dangers of distracted driving.
Alongside his prison sentence of more than 11 years, Iliev was banned from driving for 10 and a half years and must pass an extended driving test before being allowed back behind the wheel.
The case has renewed calls from road safety campaigners for tougher action against motorists who use mobile phones while driving. Safety experts have repeatedly warned that taking your eyes off the road for just a few seconds can have consequences as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol, with distracted driving continuing to claim lives across Britain every year.
