A taxi driver who left a grandfather with life-changing injuries after deliberately ploughing his vehicle into a family because a lollipop was thrown at his car has been jailed.
Hasan Mohammed, 26, was sentenced to nine years at Newcastle Crown Court after a jury heard how he ‘lost his temper’ and mowed down the elderly man with his 1.5 tonne Skoda in a terrifying revenge attack that left the victim requiring a prosthetic shoulder.
The court heard the nightmare unfolded on September 14 last year, after the family had enjoyed a meal at the Persian Bite restaurant on Brighton Grove.
As they crossed the street, a member of the group reportedly tossed the confectionery, handed out as a treat at the end of their dinner, at Mohammed’s passing car in frustration at his speed.
Instead of driving on, the ‘vengeful’ Mohammed performed a U–turn to target the group and accelerated to 33mph in a 30mph zone.
He refused to brake as he bore down on the family, which included a very young child.
Prosecutor Emma Dowling told the court: ‘The three complainants were crossing the road when the defendant drove his vehicle deliberately at them at speed and caused significant injuries.’
The grandfather sustained life–changing injuries that have left his health in tatters, while the rest of the family were left traumatised by the ‘deliberate’ act of road rage.
Hasan Mohammed, 26, was jailed for nine years at Newcastle Crown Court after he deliberately mowed down a grandfather with his 1.5 tonne Skoda
Mohammed, of Kingsley Terrace, Newcastle, had finished his shift and was heading home when he decided to turn his vehicle into a ‘battering ram’.
Judge Edward Bindloss said there had been an ‘inciting act’ when someone threw a sweet or lollipop at the taxi and hit it.
He said: ‘This was a road rage attack. You said to the jury you reacted in anger. You reacted in temper and turned your car around and drove in the way I’ve set out.
‘You said, in evidence, the taxi is your property, it was your source of income and your livelihood. You said you looked after your car, it’s everything to you.
‘This was road rage, not revenge. (The injured man) had done nothing to you.’
The grandfather was left with serious injuries, including a dislocated and fractured shoulder. It was broken in so many places it was impossible to repair and he had to have a shoulder replacement operation.
His left leg was broken in two places, his spine was fractured in two places and he had bleeding to his abdomen.
In a victim impact statement, he said: ‘It’s had a profound and lasting impact on every aspect of my life. What began as a normal evening out with my family ended in something that changed my life forever.
‘We were crossing the road, including with my one–year–old grandson, when a car approached at speed. I remember how quickly everything happened.
‘After a brief altercation the driver turned his car around and drove directly at us. There was no time to protect myself, I was struck at speed.
‘This was not an accident, it was a deliberate decision. We now live with the consequence of that decision every day.’
He said he had worked hard to build businesses and provide for his family but due to his injuries, he is no longer able to run them. He said: ‘My body no longer does what it should do. I can’t lift my arms properly.
‘I now have to rely on my wife to help with basic tasks such as dressing and washing. I find this humiliating.
Mohammed targeted a family that had just enjoyed a meal at the Persian Bite restaurant on Brighton Grove
‘I can no longer drive, I can’t simply go to the shops, I can’t leave the house independently.
‘I’m no longer able to be the grandfather I once was. I can’t pick them up or take them out on my own. They are too young to understand why I’ve changed and I find that incredibly difficult.’
He added: ‘Everything about my life is now harder. Nothing is simply any more.
‘In a matter of seconds, everything changed. I never thought I would be a burden on my family.
‘The actions of one person has had a devastating impact on me and my family.’
His daughter added: ‘What should have been a normal family outing turned into a nightmare.’ She spoke of the ‘moment of horror’ as her dad lay badly injured in front of her and her young son after the ‘calculated and deliberate’ act of violence.
She added: ‘We’ve had to watch my father become a completely different person and a shell of himself.’
Another victim said: ‘I often think how close we came to something even worse happening. I have this thought every time I pick my grandson up.’
Mohammed was found guilty after a trial of causing GBH with intent and two counts of attempting to cause GBH with intent. He pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He was jailed for nine years and banned from driving for 12 and a half years.
The court heard Mohammed has no previous convictions, behaved out of character, and references spoke of him being softly spoken, gentle, polite and respectful. He is remorseful for what he did and has become withdrawn and undergone ‘painful changes’, the court was told.
He had previously worked as a chef and carer and for Amazon then spent two years as a taxi driver.
