London:
Two Indian-origin men have been jailed for a total of 28 years after being convicted of causing the deaths of a mother and her four-year-old daughter as they walked to school in northern England. The jury found that car salesman Jasskamal Riyat, 37, was racing against Hardeep Bhachu, 29, who lost control and rammed into the pair as they walked along Scott Hall Road on their way to school in January 2023.
Justyna Hulboj, 27, and four-year-old Lena Czepczor died at the scene after being struck by Bhachu's Audi TT RS. Riyat was caught on CCTV racing Bhachu in a BMW M135i immediately before the road collision.
Bhachu pleaded guilty in June 2024 to causing their deaths by dangerous driving and was sentenced to 12 years in prison, according to a Yorkshire Evening Post report.
Riyat denied responsibility, despite dashcam footage clearly showing him racing Bhachu, and was found guilty of two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and sentenced at the same court to 16 years' imprisonment.
They were both also handed a six-year driving ban and will be required to take extended driving tests.
"A road is not a race track. A powerful car is not an invitation to test its limits on a public road," Judge Ray Singh said, addressing the duo in court.
"The consequences of competitive driving at extreme speed can be, and in this case were, irreversible," he said.
The Race
During the trial, it was heard that the two Indian-origin men did not know each other. Minutes before the crash, Bhachu and Riyat had a conversation through the windows of their sports cars while waiting side-by-side at a traffic light.
Bhachu's dashcam footage, as well as a recording on Riyat's phone, established that the duo congratulated each other on the power of their cars, with Riyat reportedly "egging him on".
They then began racing, with Riyat accelerating away first, followed by Bhachu, who had been travelling at almost 90mph on the 40mph road when he hit a kerb and lost control. His car mounted the pavement close to the Jaguar dealership, striking and killing the mother-daughter pair.
"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," said Detective Inspector (DI) Paul Conroy of West Yorkshire Police's Major Collision Enquiry Team.
"This sentencing hearing, though, does mark the end of a long criminal justice process for Justyna and Lena's family.
"It is over two years since Bhachu admitted his part in this tragic incident, and I know that the wait for justice has taken its toll. My thoughts are firmly with them today," he said.