Daud Nidhal Mohammed, 23, from Salford, was sentenced to five years and three months in prison at Manchester Crown Court after admitting causing death by dangerous driving, causing death while uninsured, and allowing himself to be in a stolen vehicle. He killed Sam Johnston, a 28-year-old physicist and x-ray technology expert, while high on nitrous oxide.
Fatal Collision on Trinity Way
On July 5, 2024, just before 3am, Mr Johnston was returning from a general election party when he was struck by Mohammed's black Audi A5 at the junction of Trinity Way and Egerton Street. CCTV showed Mr Johnston, wearing dark clothing and possibly wireless headphones, unsteady on his feet as he attempted to cross the road near his home. After the initial impact, a second car driven by a blameless taxi driver ran over him. Mr Johnston suffered catastrophic injuries and died at the scene despite attempts to revive him.
Evidence of Nitrous Oxide Use
Prosecutor Virginia Hayton told the court that Mohammed was seen driving 'at speed' in lane three of Trinity Way, a lane dedicated to right-turning traffic, before suddenly 'cutting across' the junction towards the Mancunian Way. Footage from a Jet fuel station on Oldfield Road in Salford showed Mohammed and friends 'abusing balloons filled with nitrous oxide canisters' at 2.17am. His Audi left on a brief tour, returned at 2.34am, and Mohammed was seen inhaling at least four balloons prior to the collision. He was spotted with a balloon in his mouth as he drove away at 2.49am.
Incriminating Messages and Subsequent Offences
Within an hour of the crash, Mohammed texted his sister blaming Mr Johnston for 'skipping across the road' but admitted 'I'm going jail'. He lied to police, claiming he had not taken drugs and had not seen the pedestrian. He later handed himself in 20 hours after the death, insisting he was not impaired. His father later handed police a mobile phone containing incriminating messages. Mohammed also searched online for 'hit and run charges UK'. While on bail, he was caught in a stolen VW Tiago involved in a 60mph police chase on June 20, 2025, crashing into a wall. Twenty-four canisters of nitrous oxide were found in the car.
Victim Impact Statements
Mr Johnston's mother, Cheryl Johnston, told the court she was 'tormented by the knowledge' she could not save her son, who 'loved life with all its wonder and opportunity'. She said he had 'dreamed to be a scientist' and worked hard to earn a masters and a doctorate before setting up an x-ray imaging company, Aletheia, which patented 3D imaging software. 'I'm heartbroken and scream inside at the thought my Sam will never again enjoy all the rewards of all his hard work,' she said. His father, Gary Johnston, described his son as 'kind and intelligent with a wonderful sense of humour', adding that there was 'no release from the pain' of their loss.
Sentencing Remarks
Judge Peter Horgan noted that Mr Johnston was a 'vulnerable road user' and that Mohammed had carried out an 'improper inadvisable manoeuvre' with 'no attempt to stop'. He said the remorse expressed was 'genuine'. Mohammed, of Adelphi Wharf in Salford, was jailed for five years and three months.
