Cowards fled UK to avoid justice after fatal horror crash which claimed life of friend

Three cowards who fled the UK to avoid facing justice after killing their friend in a reckless racing horror crash will be jailed upon their return to the country. Osama Saeed, 32, Asgar Taj, 34, and Mohammed Chaudhry, 31, absconded during a trial at Minshull Street Crown Court, in which Saeed and Taj were accused of ‘racing’ with two other men before a collision on the A34 in September 2020. As a result of the collision Asad Rashid, 34, who was driving a Suzuki motorbike, sadly died.

Chaudry had already pleaded guilty to the offence. Sentencing on Friday (December 15), Judge Jason MacAdam said all three men ‘had done everything they could to avoid the consequences of their actions’.

At around 10pm on September 15, 2020 Saeed was driving an Audi RS3, Taj was driving a Suzuki motorbike, Chaudhry was driving an Audi R8, and Mr Rashid was driving a black Suzuki motorbike on the A34, the court heard.

Eyewitnesses described how the vehicles passed at ‘high speed’ and appeared to be racing. Prosecuting, Stephen McNally described how all four vehicles failed to navigate a ‘well-marked and well-lit roundabout’, resulting in the tragic collision. In a statement provided to police following the crash, one eyewitness said she thought she ‘had got in the way of Top Gear filming’ after hearing the ‘roar’ of the engines.

Another said she had ‘never seen anything like’ the speed with which the vehicles were travelling, adding it ‘all happened in a matter of seconds’. Another driver said she saw an ‘explosion of lights and sparks’ and saw a grey Audi that didn’t appear to turn and was going straight. She said the Audi ‘collided with the motorcycle and the Audi ‘flew’ onto the roundabout.

The witness stopped to assist at the scene and spoke to Taj, who had injured his leg, describing how he had opened his phone and appeared to be deleting a number of files and the Instagram app. Mr McNally said there was an ‘indication he was deleting evidence that they had been racing their vehicles that same night or on other occasions’.

They were sentenced at Minshull Street Crown Court (Image: MEN Media)

Emergency services responded, but Mr Rashid was sadly pronounced dead at 10:52pm, the court heard. The three men were later arrested but gave no comment, before providing prepared statements at their second interview ‘denying their culpability’.

In a letter written by Mr Rashid’s brother on behalf of his family, he described how Taj and Mr Rashid were ‘best friends’ and said the family do not feel ‘any malevolence’ towards those involved in the tragic incident. They issued a plea for Taj to be dealt with as leniently as possible. “Asad was the youngest of four siblings,” the letter read. “Losing him has been very painful for the whole family.

Time has not really been a healer. We can hide the pain but it is always there.” Representing Saeed, Saleema Mahmood said he had ‘not been thinking clearly’ when he fled the country, and that ‘no length of imprisonment will in any way equal the punishment he feels having been responsible for the loss of life of someone he is close to’.

She told the court Saeed is ‘remorseful’ and has left behind a wife and three young children in the UK. “The pressure on this young man’s shoulders would no doubt have been on his mind when he decided to flee,” she added. Representing Taj, Zarif Khan said he was of previous good character and also suffered from a number of injuries as a result of the crash.

Judge MacAdam said he held all three men ‘equally culpable’ for Mr Rashid’s death and that ‘overwhelming’ evidence showed this was not the first time the defendants had participated in risky driving. “I am asked today to accept that Mr Saeed feels responsible for the loss of his friend,” he said. “I am sure he does because he is. But it is clear to me that remorse is tempered very much by his overriding concern for his own interests.

He is not prepared to accept the consequences of his own actions.”

Chaudhry, of Kingsway, Cheadle[3], was sentenced to 10-years and seven months in prison, Saeed, of St Pauls Road, Manningham, Bradford was jailed for 12 years and Taj, of Heather Grove, Bradford, was also sentenced to 12 years behind bars.

Arrest warrants have been issued for all three men.

References

1. ^ ‘It’s unbelievable’: Alex Batty’s gran says hearing his voice for first time in six years was ‘like a dream’ (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
2. ^ The grinning dealer who played a ‘leading role’ in supply of Ketamine and Cannabis to the North West (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
3. ^ Cheadle (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)