A woman who killed her friend by crashing a Lamborghini was arrested at a hospital after a 'ruse' to avoid being sentenced. Humaira Batool, 26, lost control of the rented supercar after reaching speeds of up to 143mph on the M62 in West Yorkshire in the early hours of December 21 2022.
Her friend, Mohammed Shaan Hussain, 20, was recovered from the wreckage of the car but had been fatally injured. She was due to be sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on Monday but failed to attend, with her barrister saying she had had a flare-up of endometriosis and had gone to A&E.
Prosecutor calls hospital claim a 'ruse'
Prosecutor Christopher Dunn said it was "clearly a ruse" by Batool to avoid sentencing and that she had made several attempts to "thwart the prosecution" throughout the case. Judge Ray Singh issued a bench warrant for Batool, saying she was "avoiding being dealt with", and the defendant was arrested and taken to court from the hospital.
The judge told her that her failure to attend was "unforgivable". He said: "It was fairly obvious you weren't going to attend, from email traffic seen over the weekend. For you to have deliberately, in my view, got to a position where you weren't going to attend this morning is unforgivable. The deceased's family are here."
Social media photos contradict injury claims
While the judge was considering whether to give Batool bail overnight or remand her in custody, Mr Dunn said the prosecution had photographs from social media of the defendant, who has a beauty business, wearing a ballgown and high heels at a beauty event. He said the pictures were taken in the weeks before her trial, during which she arrived at court on crutches.
Mr Dunn said: "Our information is it was at a time just before the trial. Then she comes to the trial using crutches and struggling to get into the dock, when she was wearing high heels to go to a beauty event."
Remanded in custody ahead of sentencing
Judge Singh remanded Batool in custody overnight to be sentenced on Tuesday, telling her there was a "significant risk" she would not attend court again if bailed. Batool, from Bradford, was charged with causing death by dangerous driving in January 2024 and found guilty by a Leeds Crown Court jury in September this year.
