UK
Racing at high speed, two lives lost: 2 Indian-origin men jailed for 28 years in UK
Two Indian-origin men have been jailed for a combined 28 years after being convicted over the deaths of a mother and her four-year-old daughter in a speeding car collision in Leeds, the UK.
At Leeds Crown Court on Monday, Hardeep Bhachu, 29, was sentenced to 12 years in prison, while Jasskamal Riyat, 37, received a 16-year sentence, the BBC reported.
According to West Yorkshire Police, Bhachu, of Grant Row, Adel, Leeds, pleaded guilty in June 2024 to causing the deaths of 27-year-old Justyna Hulboj and her daughter, Lena Czepczor, by dangerous driving. He returned to Leeds Crown Court on October 26 to be sentenced.
Riyat, of Buckstone Avenue, Moortown, Leeds, was convicted following a trial in August. CCTV and dashcam footage showed that he had been racing Bhachu immediately before the fatal collision.
Riyat was found guilty of two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and sentenced to 16 years in prison.
Both men were also disqualified from driving for six years and ordered to take an extended driving test before they can drive again.
Detective Inspector Paul Conroy, of West Yorkshire Police’s Major Collision Enquiry Team, said: “A woman and her young daughter have died because of the actions of these men, and I know no sentence will ever feel enough to compensate for the lives that have been lost.”
What Happened to the Mother and Her Daughter?
Shortly after 8.30 am on January 16, 2023, Bhachu lost control of the white Audi TT he was driving and struck Justyna and Lena before crashing into a wall at the Vertu Jaguar Leeds dealership on Scott Hall Road.
Both the mother and her four-year-old daughter died at the scene.
Bhachu was taken to hospital with injuries sustained in the collision and was subsequently arrested.
Investigators examined CCTV footage, dashcam recordings provided by members of the public and footage from Bhachu’s own vehicle. The evidence established that he had been racing a black BMW 135i immediately before the crash.
Riyat, who was driving the BMW, was arrested on the afternoon of January 16, 2023.
According to the police statement, Bhachu’s dashcam captured a conversation between the two men while they were stopped at traffic lights shortly before the collision. During the exchange, Bhachu boasted that his Audi had 560 horsepower and that he had been driving at only a quarter of the throttle.
The footage formed part of the evidence highlighting the circumstances surrounding the fatal collision.
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