Two friends have been handed lengthy prison sentences in the United Kingdom after being found guilty of causing the death of a Nigerian, Sylvester Abayomi, in a high-speed crash involving dangerous driving and inhalation of nitrous oxide.
The incident occurred in Manchester in the early hours of March 9 when the driver, Uways Hussain, and his friend and passenger, Usmon Mahmood, were travelling in a Volkswagen Golf GTI at extreme speed while filming themselves inhaling laughing gas.
Court proceedings revealed that the duo ran a red light and drove at about 223 kilometres per hour before colliding with a Volvo S40 driven by 50-year-old Abayomi, who was on his way to work at the time.
The impact left the Nigerian victim with severe chest injuries, and he was later confirmed dead on the same day.
Prosecutors told the court that footage retrieved from the defendants’ phones showed them inhaling nitrous oxide from balloons while engaging in reckless driving, including using only one hand on the steering wheel and driving on the wrong side of the road.
The court also heard that shortly after the crash, an emergency call made via an Apple Watch worn by Hussain captured the pair discussing how to conceal their involvement in the incident.
In the recording, they were heard considering reporting the vehicle as stolen and attempting to determine who would take responsibility for driving, while also discussing how to remove forensic evidence from the car.
However, unbeknownst to them, the Apple Watch had automatically dialled emergency services after detecting the collision, enabling police to trace the location of the suspects.
Officers later apprehended Hussain, who was found hiding in a garden, while Mahmood was also arrested at a separate location nearby.
Delivering judgment at Manchester Crown Court, Judge Nicholas Dean KC condemned the conduct of the defendants, describing the evidence as deeply disturbing.
“The footage is terrifying. You drove at extreme speeds, on roads with 30mph limits, at levels far beyond anything that could be considered safe or lawful,” the judge said.
In an emotional victim impact statement, the deceased’s partner, Denise Doyle, described Abayomi as a hardworking man whose life was abruptly cut short.
“Sylvester was simply on his way to work. He was an ordinary hardworking man. He should have returned home to me that day, but because of your actions, he never did,” she said.
She added, “He kissed me goodbye and told me he loved me. I never knew that would be the last time I would see him alive. It still feels like a nightmare I cannot wake up from.”
The court sentenced Hussain, 20, to 11 years and eight months imprisonment for causing death by dangerous driving, while Mahmood, 23, was jailed for 12 years and nine months for aiding and abetting the offence.
Greater Manchester Police described the case as one of the earliest in the United Kingdom in which a passenger was convicted for aiding and abetting death by dangerous driving.
