A taxi driver speeding at 100mph with passengers in his car killed a man out celebrating Christmas.
Shakoor Ahmed, of Conduit Street, Gloucester, boasted to his fare that he had been stopped by police for speeding in the evening of December 17, 2021. Just 15 minutes later that same night Ahmed's Toyota Prius ploughed into Daniel Beames, leaving him fatally injured.
After Ahmed, 46, pleaded guilty to death by dangerous driving, at Gloucester Crown Court on Thursday, May 2 and was sentenced to six years and 10 months in prison by Judge Rupert Lowe, Gloucestershire Live reported.
Emily Evans, prosecuting, told the court how Ahmed had raced along the streets of Gloucester despite having a fare in his vehicle. She said: "(The passenger) described how, at one point, there was nothing in front of them and he felt the acceleration of the vehicle push him back into his seat.
"As soon as they got onto the Golden Valley bypass, Ahmed told his passengers that he could do 100 miles per hour along that stretch. He did indeed get up to 100 miles per hour, travelling along the Golden Valley in record time."
The taxi driver continued to speed until the Prius became stuck behind a slower vehicle on Lansdowne Road. Ahmed overtook the car and pulled back in front of it as Daniel was crossing the road, hitting him at speed. He was taken to Southmead Hospital in Bristol but died from his injuries the following day.
Ahmed was said to have his foot fully on the accelerator just before the crash, driving the car at 53mph on a 40mph road. Ms Evans told the court that had the collision been at 40 miles per hour, the risk of fatality would have been 30 percent. At 53 miles per hour, that increases to an 80 percent chance, she said.
Daniel's mother, Yvette White, told the court: "Daniel was my only son, my friend, my protector and my pride. He was kind, generous, funny, empathic, sporty, adventurous, intelligent, rational, a great artist, a fantastic landscape gardener, a brilliant chef, extremely loveable and a perfect son.
"Daniel's life has gone, and mine and the rest of my family's lives are ruined. I honestly don't know how to recover from this. The effect this has had, on both my mental health and my physical health, seems to be irreversible. The driver not only took away my son's life but he has destroyed mine as well."
Daniel's partner, Jess Beames, told the court that the family had been handed a life sentence and that his son, Barney, had been just six at the time of his death. Speaking to the court, Jess said: "There is a melancholy that lives on within my bones. I've been stripped entirely of who I am and I will never get used to Dan being dead.
"I'm trying to live my life and find little pockets of joy, but even in the joy, grief holds hands with it and is travelling with me every step of the way. It's taken up a permanent residence inside my soul.
"This remains the longest journey of my life and there isn't a single day where I don't feel a pang of nausea and sadness in my stomach. Dan is still ever present in our house. There's a sunflower in every room and some of his ashes sit on the shelf next to my bed. We say his name every day and Barney loves hearing the stories about Dan's jokes and tricks."
Ahmed pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving earlier this month. In mitigation, Catherine Spedding told the court that Ahmed accepted he had been speeding and had since relinquished his taxi driver licence. She added that he currently cared for his elderly parents and an uncle.
During sentencing, Judge Lowe said: "The officers involved were not in possession of a crystal ball and there is no criticism of their humane and appropriate actions at that time. In light of what followed, you did not take the issue of your speeding seriously.
"I characterise the dangerous driving came from a gross arrogance on your part, meaning you felt you could speed when you wanted to. This was a most awful waste of a young life. If you had been travelling at the maximum speed for the road, this accident might not have happened at all."
Ahmed was told he must serve half of his sentence before being released on licence. He was disqualified from driving, which will last until two years after his release.
Collision investigator Nigel Davies said after the sentencing: "To be stopped by police, most motorists would heed that warning and reflect on their driving but it was no deterrent to Ahmed. His selfish actions have lead to the tragic death of this young man, putting Daniel's family through needless heartache and suffering."
