IN THE NEWS
12 YEARS’ JAIL FOR JOY RIDER WHO KILLED OLDHAM CABBIE IN HEAD ON SMASH WHILST ‘IMPRESSING HIS FRIENDS’
A joy rider has been jailed for twelve years after his dangerous driving killed a taxi driver and seriously injured both his passengers. Ryan Hughes, 30, was on a ‘joy ride’ in a Ford Focus on November, 1, 2019 around Oldham with two friends as passengers. Minshull Street Crown Court heard that he was trying to ‘impress his friends’ but was driving at excessive speed, without a licence or insurance. Witnesses described seeing the Ford Focus approach them and cut in front of them at speed to avoid colliding with a pedestrian island. They described Mr Hughes’s driving as ‘erratic’ and ‘desperate’. At 9.45pm he was driving on the B61 in Oldham at twice the speed limit - in excess of 80mph. A local taxi driver, Adinur Roshid, was picking up his two passengers from the Blue Tiffin Restaurant on Laurel Trading Estate. He was driving them to Royton where the two best friends were going to have a few drinks together. As the taxi pulled out to turn right onto Higginshaw Lane it was hit head on by Mr Hughes at speed. It resulted in the later death of the taxi driver from a traumatic brain injury. The two passengers, Helen Parfitt and Angela Collier, suffered injuries includ- ing broken ribs, a broken pelvis and a dislocated spine. Prosecuting, Robert Hall told the court: “Witnesses got out and told those in the Ford Focus to phone 999 but they ran away. “Witnesses phoned 999 instead. Police found the defendant through DNA testing of the car. The taxi driver was taken to Salford Royal Hospital. “He died of traumatic brain injuries and his life support machine was switched off on 18 February, 2020.” Both passengers in the taxi were taken to hospital with serious and life- changing injuries.
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Hughes denied being the driver of the car at first but after exten- sive enquiries he was arrested and DNA on the airbag was found to be a match for his. There was also CCTV of Hughes at a petrol station, showing him getting into the car and driving away. Victim impact statements by the passengers were read and a statement was read on behalf of Mr Roshid’s son to the court. The statement from the taxi drivers son read: “My dad was working as a taxi driver at the time of the crash and had been doing this for about 15 years. “There are four children in the family and my mother. It was so upsetting to see my dad laid up in hospital. I remember being told he would not make it.
“My mother really struggled. Since the collision, my mother has had to look after the whole family. It was not normal for somebody to die in this way. “This is something we will never forget.” Ms Pariftt’s statement read: “I saw the headlights of a car coming very quickly towards us. The impact, the noise, the shock was horrific. Unable to move, and struggling to breathe, my legs were trapped behind the drivers seat. “I was dependent on carers to cook and clean. I had to sleep on the sofa causing overwhelming pain and discomfort. “I was feeling isolated. The first time I got in a car during my recovery period I suffered a very severe panic attack.” Ms Parfitt also described the pain she feels on a daily basis in her back and ribs and the therapy she has had to have for PTSD and depression.
Reading a statement to the court, the second passenger, Ms Collier, said: “I was still grieving the loss of my mother. I was having a night out with my best friend. “I have severe nerve damage. I cannot walk very far or stand and sit for long periods. When I got out of hospital I had carers to help me. “All of which I was embarrassed about. My daughter had to come and change my neck brace. I was very reliant on my family.
“I get frustrated and angry because I cannot do certain things. My daughter was worried I was going to die. “I am not living, I am just existing.” Ms Collier also described the serious injuries she has suffered and the pain she deals with on a daily basis. Mitigating, John Harrison told the court: “The consequences to the victims are horrendous. Mr Hughes has shown true remorse and a terrible lack of judgement. “The pre-sentence report shows he is an industrious person who has been contributing to society. There is a young daughter who will suffer.” Ryan Hughes, from Oldham, was convicted of death by driving unlicensed and uninsured, causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving and sentenced to 12 years in jail. He was disqualified from driving for 16 years and must sit an extended driving retest. Sentencing, the Judge said: “You decided you were going to go on a joy ride around Oldham. You showed off to your friends. You were driving at an excessive speed. Police estimated you may have been driving at 80 mph. “You do not dispute that you were joy riding and travelling at a grossly excessive speed. You and your passengers fled the scene and you denied responsibility. The only mitigation is that you pleaded guilty.”
OCTOBER 2021
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