Two drivers who killed a mother and her four-year-old daughter while racing along a Leeds street have been sentenced to 16 and 12 years in prison. Justyna Hulboj, 27, and her daughter Lena Czepczor were on their way to the girl's nursery when they were hit by a white Audi TT on the A61 Scott Hall Road on January 16 2023.
Sentencing at Leeds Crown Court
At Leeds Crown Court on Monday, Judge Ray Singh sentenced Hardeep Bhachu, the Audi's driver, to 12 years, and Jasskamal Riyat, who drove a black BMW 135i travelling closely behind, to 16 years. Bhachu pleaded guilty to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, while Riyat denied taking part in a race but was convicted of the same offences following a trial earlier this year.
Judge's remarks
Judge Singh told the pair: "A road is not a racetrack. A powerful car is not an invitation to test its limits on a public road. The consequences of competitive driving at extreme speed can be, and in this case were, irreversible.
"Two people died. One of them was a 27-year-old mother, the other was her four-year-old daughter. They had done nothing wrong; they were simply walking to school."
He added: "Two families must now live with a loss that can never be undone. Justyna and Lena should have gone to school that morning. They should have returned home. They should have continued with their lives. Instead, their lives ended on a pavement because two drivers chose to drive in a manner which placed speed and competition above the safety of everyone around them. Nothing this court can do can restore those lives."
