Mum says image of five-year-old son being run over and killed in Leeds backstreet has 'stayed with her'

A delivery driver who ran over and killed a child in a backstreet before leaving the scene has been jailed.

Colin Agyei took a shortcut through Back Camberley Street, Beeston, which was a one-way road, and struck five-year-old Abdullah Ebrahim more than four years ago.

The youngster’s mother witnessed her young son being left for dead.

Agyei was handed a six-year jail sentence at Leeds Crown Court this morning, having been found guilty after as trial of causing death by dangerous driving. He was also given a driving ban of more than seven years.

Judge Tom Bayliss KC told him: “You took Abdullah’s life when you took a shortcut down a one-way street.

“You did for no better reason that it saved you time as a delivery driver.

“The one-way system was clearly signed and you had ample opportunity to observe these signs.

“It’s a narrow street separating back gardens of two rows of terraced houses. The sort of place where children may either be playing or crossing.”

He said that 32-year-old Agyei was not speeding, but said the speed was “inappropriate”.

He accepted Agyei was remorseful, and that he was “oblivious” to the collision.

Judge Bayliss continued: “This was a little boy. It’s hard to imagine a more vulnerable road user.”

Agyei, of Pear Tree Grove, Knottingley, was driving a black Nissan Note when he struck young Abdullah on the July 7, 2022.

He hit him as he ran across the road. The five-year-old sadly died in hospital shortly after the collision.

Abdullah’s mother Salma Begum told the court today: “What I cannot understand, and what I will never forget, is that he failed to stop and left my child there.

“I will never forget the image of Abdullah lying on the floor on his own. That image has stayed with me for four years. It is something I carry every single day.

“I attended the trial and had to sit and listen to the defendant say that he did not see my son. I heard his account change several times, and I felt that he was not telling the truth about what happened.

“The jury took only around 40 minutes to find him guilty on all counts.

“For me and my family, however, the pain did not end with that verdict. We have waited four years for justice. During that time, I have had to go through this awful ordeal again and again. Having to attend court, hear the evidence and relive the circumstances of Abdullah’s death has caused me enormous emotional suffering.

“Four years have passed, but my grief has not passed. I still miss my son. I still think about him every day,” she added.

Speaking after sentence, Detective Sergeant Steve Suggitt, of West Yorkshire Police’s Major Collision Enquiry Team, said: “This was a truly tragic incident that resulted in the death of a young boy and robbed a family of a lifetime of shared memories.

“This collision was completely avoidable had Agyei complied with the no entry sign and not driven into Back Camberley Street. Young Abdullah would not have been expecting a vehicle to be driving up the road and did not have time to react.

“While we estimate that Agyei was driving at a relatively low speed of around 15mph, during our investigation we thoroughly tested the back street and found that because of the nature of the road you cannot drive safely on it at speeds of over 7mph.

“Agyei admitted a lesser careless driving offence but was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving. While he has been given a custodial sentence, I know that no sentence can ever in any way equate to the lifetime of grief that Abdullah’s family face.”