LONDON: Two men have received prison sentences for causing the death of an 8-year-old British Muslim boy by dangerous driving, the Metro reported on Thursday.
Kevin Jones, 36, and Thomas McGrath, 24, were driving their cars at more than twice the speed limit on a road in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, in July 2020.
Jones’ BMW hit Safiullah Asif as he crossed the road while playing with his brother and cousin, the Metro reported. The child died in hospital two days later.
While Jones stopped his car after the crash, McGrath did not.
Both men were sentenced to four years and eight months in prison for causing death by dangerous driving after appearing at Bolton Crown Court on Thursday. They will each face a five-year driving ban on their release.
Police Constable Adam Scott, an officer with Greater Manchester’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, told The Sun: “First of all, our thoughts remain with the family of Safiullah Latif Asif, who grieve and miss their son every single day.
“We are pleased with today’s result, and we hope that this goes some way to help Safiullah’s family, knowing that both Jones and McGrath are off the streets and cannot hurt anyone else.
“This was an extremely serious road traffic collision, and we would urge everyone to adhere to speed limits and behave in a responsible way on the roads.
“As this case has shown, standards of driving like this result in the loss of lives, and in this case a young boy’s life.”
