A teenager sentenced to jail for killing a father-of-six in a road traffic collision was released immediately following a twist in court – to the dismay of the victim’s family. Hamza Ahmad mowed down Mohammad Uddin as the pedestrian crossed Somerville Road in Small Heath.
The 19-year-old was driving a Toyota Aygo and speeding in the 20mph zone when he struck the 65-year-old grandfather, who died from catastrophic head injuries later in hospital. Ahmad, of St. Benedicts Road near to the scene, admitted causing death by careless driving.
At Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, January 7 he was sentenced to six months, banned from driving for 15 months and ordered to take an extended retest before getting behind the wheel again.
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But despite dock officers coming into the room to handcuff the teenager and lead him to the cells, they were soon told he was being released immediately. It came after his lawyer immediately confirmed he would be appealing the custodial punishment to the city’s crown court. He then successfully applied for him to keep his bail until the outcome of that hearing.
Mr Uddin’s daughter Shahnaz Parvin had provided an emotional statement to the court about the loss of her father. She told Birmingham Live: “I was really shocked by that.
“The fact that it was such a quick turnaround felt like the rug being taken from beneath our feet. The cost of us having to come to court again is just another layer to our grief.”
Mohammed Uddin who was killed in a road traffic collision on Somerville Road, Small Heath in August 2023.
(Image: Birmingham Mail / Live)
The collision took place around 9.10pm on August 9, 2023. Graphic CCTV of the incident was played to the court which prompted gasps at the moment Ahmad ploughed into Mr Uddin and sent him flying into the air.
It had also shown that the victim had checked in both directions and crossed the road properly prior to him being struck. Ahmad, who remained at the scene after the collision, was travelling between 26mph and 28mph at the point of impact.
Prosecutor Fumnanya Okwuashi said: “The defendant drove carelessly on the road. Had he been driving at a lower speed he would have seen the victim crossing the road and would have stopped in appropriate time. He would have avoided the collision entirely.”
Ms Parvin took to the witness box and told the court she ‘wanted to look into the eyes’ of Ahmad but could not quite see him as he slumped down beneath the brow of the wooden dock. She described her father, affectionately known as ‘Abbah’, as a ‘good, kind and generous man’.
Ms Parvin stated he was well-known and respected in Small Heath where he had lived within the Bangladeshi community for nearly 40 years, with thousands of people attending his funeral. She told the court a commemorative sign, provided by charity Road Peace, had been put up at the scene of the incident only to be cruelly vandalised on a number of occasions.
A commemorative sign for road traffic collision victim Mohammad Uddin, who died aged 65 after being struckby a car on Somerville Road, Small Heath in August 2023.
(Image: Birmingham Mail / Live)
Ms Parvin then went on to describe the ‘hurtful’ comments and accusations on social media which wrongly blamed her father for the collision. She added: “This was not an accident. It can’t be when someone deliberately chooses to disregard the speed limits of the road and kill Abbah.
“Abbah was always our leader and the pinnacle of our family. We feel lost without him and no-one can replace him. We have lost our compass.”
Oliver Jarvis, defending, stated Ahmad worked as a dental nurse, had never committed a crime before and had a previously held an ‘excellent’ driving record. He said: “He knows it’s his fault. He is trying to carry the burden of that guilt and he will have to carry it for the rest of his life. He is extremely remorseful.”
The barrister told the court Ahmad had suffered flashbacks and nightmares, adding: “The defendant wishes he could turn back the clock but he can’t. Since that stupid moment he has done everything to demonstrate to the court this will never happen again.”
A general view of Somerville Road in Small Heath
Disitict Judge David Wain described the incident as a ‘particularly poor piece of driving’. He added it was ‘extremely disappointing’ that Ahmad had repeatedly maintained he was not driving at reckless speeds and believed the collision was ‘unavoidable’.
The judge concluded ‘appropriate punishment can only be achieved by immediate custody’. After the six -month sentence was passed Mr Jarvis confirmed his intention to appeal it Birmingham Crown Court.
He stated the offence could fall ‘below the custody threshold’ and that a term of imprisonment could be suspended in light of Ahmad’s mitigation. Requesting bail the barrister argued imprisonment in the interim period would have a ‘considerable impact’ on the teenager.
Judge Wain agreed it was a ‘finely balanced’ decision and allowed bail. But he urged Ahmad to ‘reflect’ on his attitude, saying: “Someone lost their life because of your bad driving and your speed. It isn’t a coincidence. This is a result of your behaviour.”
Following the hearing Ms Parvin told Birmingham Live: “In this country, especially for road crime, the sentence doesn’t reflect the crime. When sentences are passed they need to deter people from doing this again.
“If he gets off with a suspended sentence what does that say to the public? Run someone over, take their life and walk away. We want appropriate justice.”
Mr Uddin’s youngest son Hasan Ahmed said he was ‘disgusted’ at the outcome. He said: “How can someone take another life so brutally and with clear self negligence, yet be able to go home and live a normal life as if nothing happened? As if no life was lost.”