A delivery driver who killed a five-year-old boy in Leeds while taking a shortcut down a one-way street has been jailed for six years.
Colin Agyei, 32, of Pear Tree Grove, Knottingley, was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving following a trial at Leeds Crown Court. He was behind the wheel of a black Nissan Note when Abdullah Ebrahim ran across the road on July 7, 2022, and was struck. The youngster later died in hospital.
Mother's grief
Abdullah's mother, Salma Begum, told the court she is haunted by the image of her son lying alone in the road. She watched the collision in a narrow backstreet in Leeds, West Yorkshire, before Agyei carried on without stopping.
In an emotional statement, she said: "What I cannot understand, and what I will never forget, is that he failed to stop and left my child there. I will never forget the image of Abdullah lying on the floor on his own. That image has stayed with me for four years. It is something I carry every single day."
Court details
The court heard Agyei had driven the wrong way down Back Camberley Street, Beeston, because it saved him time while on deliveries. Ms Begum said she attended the trial and listened to the defendant say he did not see her son, noting how his account changed several times.
She said: "I felt that he was not telling the truth about what happened. The jury took only around 40 minutes to find him guilty on all counts. For me and my family, however, the pain did not end with that verdict. We have waited four years for justice."
Sentencing
Sentencing Agyei, Judge Tom Bayliss KC said: "You took Abdullah's life when you took a shortcut down a one-way street. You did for no better reason that it saved you time as a delivery driver. The one-way system was clearly signed and you had ample opportunity to observe these signs."
The judge said Agyei was not speeding but that his speed was still "inappropriate" for the narrow backstreet. He accepted Agyei was remorseful and had been "oblivious" to the collision. Judge Bayliss added: "This was a little boy. It’s hard to imagine a more vulnerable road user."
Agyei was also banned from driving for more than seven years.
Speaking after sentence, Det Sgt Steve Suggit said: "This was a truly tragic incident that resulted in the death of a young boy and robbed a family of a lifetime of shared memories. This collision was completely avoidable had Agyei complied with the no entry sign and not driven into Back Camberley Street."
He added: "While he has been given a custodial sentence, I know that no sentence can ever in any way equate to the lifetime of grief that Abdullah's family face."
