A LEARNER driver who fled the scene of fatal crash he caused in Redditch last April has today (Friday) been sentenced to 11 years and three months.
Khizer Ali, 24, of Farndon Close, Redditch, faced a multitude of charges at Redditch Crown Court following his reckless driving behind the wheel of a VW Golf. The collision on April 23 last year killed a woman and caused her husband to suffer life-changing injuries.
Victim Valerie Ayres, who was 65 years old, was killed instantly when Ali crashed into her and husband David, aged 70, in their Vauxhall Meriva. The couple from Alvechurch had been travelling into Redditch to go shopping.
They had no chance of avoiding Ali’s out-of-control car when he hit them head on on the wrong side of the A441 Alvechurch Highway at 59mph on the 40mph speed limit road at around 2.30pm. The force of the impact pushed the Vauxhall into another car behind it.
Shortly before, Ali, who only held a provisional licence, had been driving his sister’s car but swapped with her to get into their mother’s Golf – a Motability scheme vehicle that only his mother and sister were insured on, and he did not have consent to drive.
Dash cam footage from the Golf captured the moment sister Sanaa Shahzad gave him a ‘lesson’ of how to operate the automatic car.
She let him use it while she attended an eyelash appointment after they had swapped cars at a car wash on Hewell Road.
The following few minutes changed the lives of the victims and their family and friends forever.
During his reckless journey Ali left the car wash before turning into Enfield industrial estate and on to Windsor Road where he was clocked on the Golf’s dashcam doing 62mph in a 30mph and having a near miss with a car coming the opposite direction under a railway bridge. He was also captured on CCTV from nearby businesses driving recklessly and at high speed.
Seconds later, Ali went twice around the A441 Sainsbury’s roundabout going too fast and ignoring the designated lanes before exiting on to the Alvechurch Highway at full throttle.
At this point he finally lost control of the car and crossed on to the wrong side of the road, colliding head on with Valerie and David’s Vauxhall.
He walked away from the scene but was later arrested at his home by officers.
An air ambulance, police officers and paramedics attended the scene but sadly, despite their best efforts, nothing could be done to save Valerie. David was airlifted to hospital with significant life-changing injuries he is still recovering from.
Ali, who pleaded guilty in February at an earlier hearing, was sentenced to 11 years and three months for the following offences: –
- Causing death by dangerous driving
- Causing serious injury by dangerous driving
- Causing death by driving a vehicle without a licence or insurance
- Aggravated vehicle taking and dangerous driving
- Being the driver of a vehicle who failed to stop after a road accident
- Being the driver of a vehicle involved in a road accident who failed to report that accident
- Using a motor vehicle on a road / public place without third party insurance
- Driving a motor vehicle otherwise than in accordance with a licence
He was also banned from driving for 12 years and six months. Which includes the seven years and six months of his prison term and a further five years after that. He will be subject to an extended driving test after that time.
Another guilty plea
Sanaa Shahzad, 20, also of Farndon Close, has herself pleaded guilty to her role in the fatal crash.
Shahzad had also been caught on the dash cam of the Golf driving dangerously and at excess speed around Redditch earlier that day. She had also lent the car to another unknown man, before letting her brother drive it for which she pled guilty to two counts of causing or permitting the use of a vehicle without valid insurance or a licence.
Shazaad today changed her plea to guilty over a further charge of refusing the password or pin to her mobile phone under Section 49 of Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA). She was bailed to be sentenced on all counts on June 26.
‘No compensation for the loss’
Det Con Rose Hughes, lead investigator for this case, said: “While no sentence can ever compensate for the sad loss of life in this case and the life sentence Ali’s actions have imposed on the victim’s family and friends, we hope that the term handed down to him today will go some way to seeing justice done.
“He showed a total disregard for the safety of the public when took the car off his sister that day, driving recklessly and dangerously which is exacerbated by the fact he should never have been behind the wheel of this car as he did not hold a full driving licence.
“We hope this sentence and the tragic outcome will teach a sobering lesson about the reason for speed limits and driving regulations to anyone thinking about ever getting behind the wheel without having passed their test or driving in such a thoughtless and selfish manner putting so many people at risk as he did.
“Ali should never be driving again. Offenders like him have no place on our roads.
“His sister Shahzad quite rightly bears some of the responsibility for the outcome of this tragedy too. She should never have leant him the car, especially as she knew he was a learner driver with no insurance.”
Family tribute
Valerie’s family has paid tribute to her.
Daughter Lucy said: “My mum was my best friend we always spent time together, people used to remark I have never seen a mother and daughter so close.
“The times we spent together are now some of the most cherished memories I have. I cannot put into words what this man has taken away not only me, but the rest of the family.
“Mum was the only person I would talk to about everything, who do I talk to now?
“Every day, I wish I could pick up the phone to hear her voice, share my thoughts and for her to tell me everything is going to be okay.
“We have not long ago been on holiday with dad, but it just wasn’t the same, mum was the glue in our family and kept us going.”
Valerie’s husband David added: “Val was the life and soul of the party – we did everything together.
“Val was so bubbly and funny, ‘nuts’ we used to call her, she was always doing stupid things to make people laugh and had a good time wherever we went.
“My life has been turned upside down, I can’t express how much I miss Val and wish the whole thing never happened.
“We wouldn’t be where we are today, writing these statements and my family attending court.
“We would be enjoying the life we had left as a retired, married couple who were still very much in love.”
