A Deliveroo driver killed an elderly man as he crossed the road when he cut the corner to ‘beat traffic’. Mustafa Sayed was delivering food to a customer when he approached the junction of School Lane and Parrs Wood Road in Didsbury on November 14, 2022.
As the lights changed from red to green, he turned right while Sadrudin Noormaohamed Adatia, 86, was slowly crossing the road with his walking aid.
Sayed, 55, hit Mr Adatia, sending him into the air. He was rushed to hospital, but sadly died from his injuries the next morning. Sayed, from Withington, was found guilty by jurors of causing death by driving without due care and attention.
Handing him a suspended sentence, Judge Alan Conrad KC said: “You were working as a takeaway delivery driver and were under pressure to deliver – whether that was self-imposed or came from your employer.
“I am satisfied your concern was to cut the right hand turn to beat the oncoming traffic, and in so doing, you failed to have regard to the presence of any pedestrian who might have been in the road.”
Prosecuting, Stephen Littlewood told the trial both roads have a 30mph limit and that the junction is controlled by traffic lights. Sayed was driving along School Lane when the lights at the junction with Parrs Wood turned from red to green.
“Mr Adatia was 86-years-old and walked with an assistant mobility walker. He began to cross the road, slowly, as the defendant was approaching the junction,” Mr Littlewood said.
“When he began to cross the road the light was red telling pedestrians not to cross, though he was in the middle of the road when the defendant went to turn right.”
Sayed ‘briefly’ touched the brakes but ‘did not appreciably slow down’ before hitting Mr Adatia. He was flung onto the windscreen and into the road.
Sayed remained at the scene before paramedics took Mr Adatia to hospital. He died in the early hours. Sayed was arrested and interviewed, but offered officers no comment.
At his sentencing hearing today (Thursday, January 17) the court heard there were no victim impact statements from Mr Adatia’s family.
“The family have been approached and have stated they have no wish to make a statement, they simply wish to move on from this tragic incident,” Judge Conrad.
Katherine Wright, mitigating, said: “This was simply a tragic incident. This has clearly had a profound effect on him and his family. He is not the same man who he was before.”
She added that Sayed had prayed everyday for Mr Adatia and his family.
“He has never had any previous convictions and has devoted his entire life to his family. He was a hard working man and this was entirely out of character,” she added.
Sayed, of Parsonage Road, was sentenced to 10 months in prison suspended for 18 months. He must also complete 10 days of rehabilitation activity requirements and 180 hours unpaid work.
He was also banned from driving for 12 months and must pay £750 towards court costs.