Union J star's sister Harriet Shelley died after being hit by car outside Stormzy concert

Siblings Harriet Shelley, 21, and Union J star George, 23.
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Jonathan Mitchell19 September 2017

The sister of Union J pop star George Shelley died after being hit by a car when she stepped out from behind a bus at a Stormzy concert, an inquest heard.

Harriet Shelley, 21, suffered fatal head injuries when she was struck by a VW Beetle outside the O2 Academy in Bristol city centre.

The university student, who had been drinking, was dropped off near the Stormzy gig and then hit shortly before midnight on April 28 this year, Avon Coroner's Court heard.

Her and friends were planning on going for a night out in the city centre and had just been dropped off near the O2 academy.

Miss Shelley died at Southmead Hospital in Bristol eight days later and the cause of death was given as "severe traumatic brain injury".

Eyewitnesses saw Miss Shelley step out from between a stationary lorry and a coach into the road without looking, giving motorist Claire Webster no chance of avoiding a collision.

The area around the O2 Academy was busy as more than 2,000 people had been attending a gig by grime artist Stormzy.

Miss Shelley's friend, Florence Anstey, said the pair had been drinking at home before being dropped off in the city centre near to the O2 Academy to go to the Ramshackle club night.

"We got out of the car and went to queue up. Harriet was leaning against the wall, obviously very drunk and I asked her if she was alright and she said yes," Miss Anstey said in a statement.

"I then started to talk to another friend when Harriet ran off. I thought she was going off to be sick or go to the loo.

"After a few minutes, she had not returned and I said I would look for her. Near the bus, I saw a girl on the ground with a group of people around her. I saw it was Harriet."

Miss Webster was driving at 16mph on a road with a 20mph speed limit when the accident happened.

"Going past the buses I heard a bump on the passenger side of the car," she said in a written statement.

"I didn't feel the car had hit anything but I looked in my rear view mirror and saw an arm in the air and realised somebody had been hit by my car.

"I did not see anyone walk out into my car. I immediately stopped and got out of my car to see what happened and I could see there was a female lying on the road.”

Miss Shelley, from Clevedon, North Somerset, had been due to graduate from Birmingham University with a first class degree in midwifery.

"Our Harriet was a beautiful young woman with a huge lust for life and had great ambitions," the family said afterwards.

"Throughout her time at Birmingham, she delivered countless babies into the world and touched many lives.

"What happened on that night was an accident in all respects. We as a family do not blame anyone, or look to point the finger."

Hundreds of people attended Miss Shelley's funeral and her elder brother George, who rose to fame after appearing on the X Factor in 2012, sang a song he had written as a tribute.

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