Wednesday, April 25, 2024

A speeding driver has been jailed after being convicted of causing the death by dangerous driving of a man in Leeds and seriously injuring his wife. 

Umer Abid, 24, of Montagu Avenue, Leeds, was found guilty following a three-day trial at Leeds Crown Court in February this year of causing the death of Yousaf Razzaq by dangerous driving and seriously injuring Yousaf’s wife Iqra Tabassum, who was a passenger in the vehicle.

He appeared at Leeds Crown Court again today (Thursday, 25 April) where he was sentenced to eight years in prison. He was also banned from driving for eight years and ordered to carry out an extended driving test.

The collision occurred on Easterly Road, Leeds, at the junction with Hollins Park Mount, on 20 September, 2020.  

The court was told Yousaf Rassaq was mid-way across the dual carriageway turning right when his Seat Alhambra was hit at speed by Abid’s Volkswagen Golf.

Abid was driving at 78 mph in an area where the speed limit is 40 miles per hour.

In a statement issued after the sentencing Yousaf’s family said: “Yousaf Razzaq was a loved son, grandson, brother and husband who was also the father of a young boy who was only 15-months-old when he passed.  

“Whoever was blessed to have known Yousaf in their lives always recount his bubbly joyful personality and how he always had a beautiful infectious smile.

“He had a big heart and cared deeply for his many family members and friends.  

“Yousaf had spent the last few years of his life working hard to establish a future for himself and his family. However, the tragic carelessness that took his life means that he has been unable to see this future play out.  

“As his family have tried to pull together to raise the son he left behind, the pain of their loss is never far away.

“We carry a heavy guilt as we see his son hit milestones that his father would have loved to have seen the beauty of. As his son grows, he will need to come to terms with having the chance of knowing his father was taken off him.  

“We thank Allah for the beautiful life and opportunities Yousaf was given but at only 28, we will always feel that this now was his peak moment to be enjoying the fruits of his work in starting his life with his wife and son.”

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Constable Debbie Farley of West Yorkshire Police’s Major Collision Enquiry Team said: “Abid was driving at almost twice the speed limit at the time of this collision and the results of his dangerous driving have been catastrophic.  

“Yousaf Razzaq’s family have been left utterly devastated by his death. What makes this case all the more heartbreaking is that Yousaf’s son was just 15 months old when his father died.  

“Speeding is one of most the common causes of fatal collisions, known as the Fatal Five. I hope this case serves as a warning to anyone who takes to our roads with the intention of driving at excessive and dangerous speeds.”