Motorist accepts speeding in Leeds mum and daughter death crash, but maintains: 'I did not cause this'
He claimed he filmed the encounter to “show friends the other car”
A motorist accused of racing another man that killed a mum and daughter denies he was driving dangerously or caused the crash, but accepts he was speeding.
Jasskamal Riyat is on trial at Leeds Crown Court accused of two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, despite not having crashed on Scott Hall Road on that fateful morning in January 2023.
Hardeep Bhachu was driving an Audi TT that morning that lost control and ploughed into Justyna Hulboj and four-year-old Lena Czepczor as they walked to school. He has admitted two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and is on remand awaiting sentence.
The Crown argues that Riyat, who was behind the wheel of a powerful BMW M135i, is equally responsible amid claims they were racing against each other moments before the horror smash.
On day three of his trial, 37-year-old Riyat took to the witness box to give evidence.
Quizzed by his own barrister, Mohammed Latif, Riyat said: “I was not racing with Bhachu. I was not trying to race at any point.”
He later said: “I genuinely did not cause this. I’m not responsible for how he drove.”
He said he did not know Bhachu and that it was a “chance meeting” on the morning of January 16, 2023.
Moments before the fatal collision, the pair spoke through their windows as they pulled up at traffic lights, with Bhachu boasting how his Audi TT had 560 BHP.
They appeared to laugh before taking off at speed.
Riyat took out his mobile phone and filmed the encounter, and could be heard laughing. He claimed he did so to show friends the Audi because it was a rare powerful car that you would “usually see on Top Gear”.
He previously told the police that he filmed the encounter because he thought the Audi driver was “going to do something stupid”.
However, Riyat admitted he was speeding up to 50mph in the 40mph zone, illegally using his mobile phone and undertaking other vehicles, but denied it was dangerous and claims he was in control of his vehicle at all times.
But during cross examination, he was played dashcam footage from another driver behind them that showed the pair side-by-side. Riyat pulled away from the traffic lights faster than the Audi, which then appeared to speed up to catch the BMW.
The car behind them was travelling at around 47mph, with the BMW and the Audi both accelerating away and almost out of sight.
Despite this, Riyat maintains he was not racing.
Asked why he was speeding at all, Riyat told prosecutor Carmel Pearson that he was keen to get to work that morning for an 8.45am meeting. He works as a sales executive at a car company.
But Ms Pearson said he contradicted himself after claiming he was “chill” that morning - meaning he felt relaxed.
Previously in the trial, two independent witnesses gave evidence with both telling the jury that the pair were “obviously racing”.
The Crown claims that the cars began to race from Potternewton Lane roundabout, heading towards Leeds.
Mrs Hulboj, 27, had been walking with her daughter Lena near to the Land Rover and Jaguar garage, at around 8.30am on their way to nursery.
The Audi hit a kerb and lost control, mounted the pavement and struck both, killing them.
Riyat, of Buckstone Avenue, Moortown, continued to film the crashed car as he passed by and left the scene, continuing on his way to work.
Bhachu, of Grant Row, Adel, later admitted guilt and asked to be remanded into custody to “take responsibility” and “begin serving the inevitable sentence”.
He will be sentenced at the conclusion of Riyat’s trial.
The trial continues and is expected to be completed by the end of the week.