Drug Dealer jailed for High-Speed Crash which killed Passenger

Rizwan Attaullah, aged 30, of Batley, was jailed for 11 and a half years after he was involved in a high-speed crash that killed his passenger.

Leeds Crown Court heard his Volkswagen Golf collided with a tractor in Wakefield, killing 21-year-old Ali Ahmed.

The incident happened on September 9, 2018.

Jonathan Sharp, prosecuting, said that Attaullah had been in Wakefield that evening delivering heroin.

At 9:04 pm, he received a text message from an associate telling him to leave Lupset as two police cars were in the area.

Witnesses said he drove out of the area at speed and went through a red light.

Footage from a CCTV camera clocked him at 76 mph in a 30 mph area.

Attaullah went round a corner and was unable to navigate a parked car, smashing into it and causing “catastrophic” damage to the passenger side.

The VW Golf then spun into the path of an oncoming tractor, causing even more damage.

The tractor driver suffered minor injuries and told officers that he could see the VW Golf losing control just before the crash.

It was estimated that Attaullah was travelling at least 65 mph at the point of impact.

Mr Ahmed was declared dead at the scene.

Attaullah suffered serious injuries in the crash but was conscious. His first reaction after the smashed car came to a stop was to search the footwell and dashboard to get rid of the heroin.

Police found 24 wraps of heroin as well as a phone used for arranging drug drop-offs and £540 in cash.

Attaullah pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and possession of heroin with intent to supply.

In a victim statement, Mr Ahmed’s sister said that Attaullah had shown “no remorse, no guilt, no humanity” over her brother’s death.

She said: “He was a kind and gentle soul who is missed by many.

“He’s left a big hole in all our lives, I miss him every day. He is always in my thoughts and I struggle driving past the road he never made it out of.”

Attaullah was jailed for 11 and a half years.

Sergeant Paul Lightowler, of the Major Collision Enquiry Team, said:

“We hope the sentence Attaullah has received today will be of some comfort to the family of Mr Ahmed, who lost his life as a result of the defendant’s reckless actions that day.

“Their grief has since been compounded due to the tragic loss of Mr Ahmed’s father, who passed away between the collision and sentencing, meaning he was unable to see the justice handed out to the man responsible for the death of his youngest son.

“We also hope it will deter other motorists from taking risks on the road and make them think about the possible consequences of what can happen when a vehicle is used dangerously.”