Pair who inhaled laughing gas before fatal 130mph crash jailed
Greater Manchester Police said the sentence was one of the highest for a death by dangerous driving offence involving a single fatality
A car driver and passenger who inhaled nitrous oxide while travelling at speeds of up to 139mph before a fatal collision have been sentenced.
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Uways Hussain, 20, was driving a VW Golf GTI belonging to friend Usmon Mahmood, 23, when he ran a red light and crashed into another car, killing 50-year-old Sylvester Abayomi, Manchester Crown Court heard on Friday.
The court was shown footage of the collision, which happened at the junction of Green End Road and Kingsway in Manchester at 4.30am on March 9.
Mr Abayomi’s partner Denise Doyle told the court: “Sylvester was simply on his way to work. An ordinary hard-working man. He should have returned home to me safely that day. Because of your actions he never did.”
Addressing the defendants, she added: “You left Sylv to die alone. You did not show him even a shred of compassion or humanity.”
Hussain, who had indicated a guilty plea at magistrates’ court, was sentenced to 11 years and eight months’ detention after admitting causing death by dangerous driving, causing death by driving whilst uninsured, and failing to provide a specimen.
Mahmood, who initially told police he tried to warn Hussain about his driving, was jailed for 12 years and nine months after he admitted aiding and abetting causing death by dangerous driving and aiding and abetting causing death by driving whilst uninsured.
Greater Manchester Police said the sentence was believed to be one of the highest for a death by dangerous driving offence involving a single fatality.
Judge Nicholas Dean KC said: “It was a sustained, deliberate and escalating course of highly dangerous conduct over a prolonged period.
“I have seen CCTV images and video recordings on phones and they are terrifying.
“You drove at extreme speeds, seemingly up to very nearly 140mph, on roads which were by and large subject to 30mph speed limits, far, far in excess of any safe or lawful limit.”
He said during the course of driving both men handled mobile phones, recorded videos and inhaled nitrous oxide.
Videos filmed by the defendants in the hours leading up to the crash showed Hussain driving at speeds of over 100mph with one hand on the wheel.
Rachel Shenton, prosecuting, said: “The Golf was driven by the first defendant, Uways Hussain. His friend Usmon Mahmood, the front seat passenger, was heard at times earlier on to be shouting encouragement.”
The judge said: “It was deliberate risk-taking, seemingly for the thrill of it.”
Following the crash, an Apple watch, worn by Hussain, called 999 automatically after detecting he had been in a collision, the court heard.
Unaware of the call, the pair were recorded talking about calling an Uber to leave the scene and reporting the car as stolen.
Judge Dean described the transcript of the call as “chilling”.
He said: “It doesn’t reveal shock or concern for the victim.”
Ms Shenton said the men left the scene and ran from officers when they were tracked down, before being arrested.
Hussain, who had a previous conviction for drug-driving, was a law student who worked full-time at an airport, Neil Ronan, defending said.
Clare Ashcroft, defending Mahmood, said he had been about to start an apprenticeship with Network Rail.
She said: “He is starting to understand the impact of his behaviour. In my submission he is remorseful.”
Speaking outside court, Detective Sergeant Thomas Johnson said: “Their actions that night were reckless, deliberate and ultimately devastating, which has resulted in one of the highest UK sentences for a death by dangerous driving involving a single fatality.“
Sylvester did nothing wrong. He entered a green light, expecting to safely continue on his journey and instead lost his life.”