IN THE NEWS
MAN JAILED FOR 14 YEARS AFTER HEAD-ON CRASH WITH UBER CAR KILLING WOMAN PASSENGER
A man has been jailed for 14 years after killing a 21-year-old woman when he drove the wrong way on a major arterial road at high speed in a stolen van and crashed head on into an Uber cab. Ashley Loveday, 39, was driving a Peugeot Boxer van when the collision happened on the A13 in east London, last November. Grace Payne, was a passenger in the Toyota Prius Uber vehicle and was killed in the collision whilst the driver, Sundar Ali, 59, was seriously injured but survived. Loveday routinely sped that evening at 85mph in 30 and 40 mph zones, up to 97mph in another 30mph zone and at between 70mph and 90mph in a 50mph zone on the A13 while travelling into oncoming traffic. He also drove through red lights and pedestrian crossings. A toxicology report found he had cocaine in his system. In January, Loveday pleaded guilty to causing Ms Payne’s death and causing serious injury to Mr Ali by his dangerous driving. Loveday, from east London, also admitted aggravated vehicle taking of the van on or before 22 November 2022. He appeared at the Old Bailey on 9 March supported by a crutch. Judge Mark Dennis KC sentenced him to 14 years in prison for causing death by dangerous driving; two years and eight months imprison- ment each for causing serious injury by dangerous driving and aggravated vehicle taking, to run concurrently. Loveday will serve two-thirds of the sentence before he is released on licence. The judge told him: “Your actions on that fateful night in November
34
last year involved driving at the highest level of dangerousness to others in a prolonged and deter- mined course of dangerous driving, leaving in its wake two victims. “It has caused indescribable anguish for many, and irreparable harm. It was perhaps only pure chance that others were not also harmed at one stage or another in that dreadful course of driving.” The judge also disqualified Loveday from driving for 19 years and four months. Ms Payne’s parents paid tribute to their “caring, compassionate, bright, funny, bubbly” daughter in a victim impact statement read out by the prosecutor. They said: “Grace’s death has left us as a family devastated. We are struggling to come to terms with the fact that our daughter will never be coming home,” they added. Police pursued Loveday after the van he was driving activated an ANPR camera. Loveday failed to stop or slow down but instead increased his speed when officers started to follow him. Officers discontinued their pursuit after Loveday joined the A13, deeming it “too dangerous” to follow him travelling against oncoming traffic. A number of the officers involved were described as experienced and highly trained and the court heard that they had “never seen”
driving as dangerous. The prosecutor told the court that Mr Ali had “no chance at all” to avoid the defendant’s vehicle. The Uber driver was taken to the Royal London Hospital with a wounded spleen and fractures to his right collar bone, left upper arm bone and right thumb bone. The court heard Mr Ali’s brain function is impaired and that he experiences painful headaches and forgetfulness. In a victim impact statement, Mr Ali said he has lost his income and believes he will never get his physical strength back. He added that he is “traumatised” by the incident, especially in relation to what happened to Ms Payne. Loveday has been before the courts since he was 16, with convictions for 81 offences on 54 occasions between 2000 and 2022. His previous convictions include aggravated vehicle taking, wound- ing, affray and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. At the time of the offence, he did not have a driving licence, was uninsured to drive the van and was wanted for breaching court orders. Loveday has never passed a driving test, the court heard. Ellis Williams, prosecutor with the CPS, said: “This sentence reflects the severity of Loveday’s offending. He chose to
indulge in a
dangerous high speed vehicle chase, which tragically ended in the death of Grace Payne and left Sundar Ali with serious injuries. “Nothing can bring Grace back but I hope this sentence goes some way to comfort her family at this difficult time.”
APRIL 2023 PHTM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90
