The actor, who is best known for his role as Brookside’s Mick Johnson, has also appeared in Casualty and Doctors
Actor Louis Emerick received a suspended prison sentence after hitting two 12-year-old girls with his car.
The former Brookside star, 65, admitted causing serious injury by careless driving in Wallasey on October 2, 2022.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said he “was not speeding but admitted he could not see clearly because of the sun so he had to slow down”.
Emerick received a 26-week prison sentence, which was suspended for 12 months, at Wirral Magistrates’ Court.
He was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and banned from driving for 18 months.
The CPS said the actor, who is charged under his full name Louis Emerick Grant, was driving towards Wallasey Village in Merseyside as the two girls crossed Poulton Road at around 17:15 GMT.
His car cut the corner of a right turn, entered the “center hatched marking” where the girls were, and struck them, CPS said.
They added that he “was not seen to slow down or stop” but that his speed was not “excessive” and a drag test showed no evidence that he had been under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Emerick, who was wearing prescription glasses that react to sunlight, told officers he looked over but didn’t see the girls cross because the sun was in his eyes, CPS said.
Speaking after his guilty plea, District Attorney Linda Melia said the actor was remorseful and cooperated fully during the investigation and “has apologized repeatedly.”
She added that he had also contacted the families of the two girls to apologise.
Emerick is best known for his role as Mick Johnson in the Liverpool-based soap Brookside, but has appeared in a number of other shows including Doctors, Last of the Summer Wine, Casualty, Coronation Street, Silent Witness and Zapped.