Driver knocked down and killed dad-of-three on busy Leeds road as he drove BMW  'like an idiot' on way to buy takeaway food

Adeel Anwar broke the speed limit as he undertook a bus and swerved to avoid a red light before driving onto the wrong side on the road and knocking down 34-year-old Bereket Weldemicael.

Mr Weldemicael suffered fatal injuries and his wife had to take the harrowing decision to allow doctors to switch off his life support machine a week after the collision.

Anwar was jailed for 17 months after pleading guilty to causing death by careless driving over the incident on Roundhay Road, Harehills.

Leeds Crown Court heard the incident happened as Anwar carried out a dangerous manoeuvre on his to buy food from a takeaway on May 26, 2018.

Michael Smith, prosecuting, said Mr Weldemicael had been socialising at a cafe with friends and was crossing the road when he was struck by Anwar's BMW.

Seconds before the collision Anwar undertook a bus while driving above the 30mph speed limit.

The BMW entered the opposite carriageway as he approached Mr Weldemicael .

The prosecutor said Anwar attempted to drive around Mr Weldemicael in the opposite lane to avoid him rather than slowing down or attempting to stop;

But Mr Weldemicael turned back when he saw the vehicle approaching and went into the path of the oncoming BMW.

The collision took place between the junctions of Gathorne Street and Spencer Place.

Another motorist who witnessed the incident described how Anwar had been driving 'like an idiot'.

The prosecutor said investigations after the incident revealed Anwar had been driving at an average speed of around 5mph above the legal limit.

The defendant said he had planned to join Roseville Road but changed his mind and went back onto Roundhay Road.

He said he had decided to go to a takeaway to get some food for when he could break his fast because it was Eid.

Freweyni Heayleom provided a victim statement to the court describing her heartbreak at losing her husband and being left to look after their children alone.

Mrs Heayleom said the family had moved to the UK from Eritrea in search of a better life.

She said: "I have lost a husband, a soul mate and father to three wonderful children.

"I will make sure his memory lives on through his children."

The court heard Anwar has no previous convictions but, four months after the tragedy, he was fined and given three penalty points for driving through a red light.

Andrew Dallas, mitigating, said Anwar was remorseful for causing Mr Weldemicael's death.

Describing Anwar's actions, Mr Dallas said: "It was an instinctive decision and it was a wrong one."

Jailing Anwar, Judge Simon Batiste said: "No sentence can possibly reflect the loss caused to his family.

"It is clear from the victim personal statement that this was a good family man of three children who was working hard and doing his best to provide for his family in his new country.

"It has left them bereft of the moral and financial support that they are entitled to."

Describing the incident, the Judge said: "He understandably must have panicked and sought to get to the side of the road and there the collision occurred.

"You were still travelling at some speed when the collision occurred.

"I take the view appropriate punishment can only be achieved in this case by an immediate custodial sentence."

Anwar was also banned from driving for two years, eight-and-a-half months.