London: Two Indian-origin men have been jailed for a total of 28 years after their dangerous driving led to the deaths of a mother and her four-year-old daughter in Leeds, northern England.
Hardeep Bhachu pleaded guilty to causing the deaths of 27-year-old Justyna Hulboj and her daughter, Lena Czepczor, by dangerous driving. The 29-year-old was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment at Leeds Crown Court on Monday.
Jasskamal Riyat, 37, who was caught on CCTV racing Bhachu immediately before the collision, was found guilty of two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment at the same court.
“A road is not a race track. A powerful car is not an invitation to test its limits on a public road,” Judge Ray Singh said, addressing the two men in court.
“The consequences of competitive driving at extreme speed can be, and in this case were, irreversible,” he said.
The crash occurred in January 2023, when Bhachu lost control of the vehicle he was driving and hit Justyna and Lena before crashing into the wall of the Vertu Jaguar Leeds car dealership on Scott Hall Road.
The mother and daughter, who were walking to school at the time, both died at the scene.
“A woman and her young daughter have died because of the actions of these men, and I know no sentence will ever feel enough to compensate for the lives that have been lost,” said Detective Inspector Paul Conroy of West Yorkshire Police’s Major Collision Enquiry Team.
“This sentencing hearing, though, does mark the end of a long criminal justice process for Justyna and Lena’s family.”
“It is over two years since Bhachu admitted his part in this tragic incident and I know that the wait for justice has taken its toll. My thoughts are firmly with them today,” he said.
While Bhachu pleaded guilty soon after the crash, Riyat was convicted following a trial at Leeds Crown Court in August. The court heard that Bhachu was taken to hospital with injuries sustained in the collision and was later arrested.
West Yorkshire Police identified Riyat as the driver of a black BMW 135i racing Bhachu with the help of dashcam and CCTV footage provided by members of the public. Bhachu’s own dashcam captured a conversation between the two men as they stopped at traffic lights. Bhachu boasted that his Audi had 560 horsepower and that he had been using only a quarter of the throttle.
“Bhachu and Riyat didn’t know each other. They were two men showing off their fast cars on a busy dual carriageway," Conroy said.
“Ultimately, Bhachu thought he could drive at those speeds in his high-powered car, but he couldn’t, and his loss of control took two lives and ruined many more.
“Riyat witnessed this collision but instead of stopping to check if those involved were okay, he left the scene. He denied his involvement but was convicted thanks to the extensive footage showing his speeding vehicle in the moments leading up to the collision,” he added.
Both Bhachu and Riyat were also given six-year driving bans and will be required to take an extended driving test at the end of that period.
In a statement, Justyna’s fiancé and Lena’s father said his “whole world collapsed in one second” after the crash.
“Every day I feel a huge void after their departure, and I imagine what it would be like if they were still alive. We had so many plans and dreams and in one moment it all ended... This nightmare will last for the rest of my life," he said.