Two jailed over young mum's car crash death

Two men who admitted causing the death of an 18-year-old mother in a car crash have been jailed for a total of more than 20 years.

At Bradford Crown Court on Friday, Jordan Spalding, 24, was told he must serve nine years and 10 months in prison for causing the death by dangerous driving of Amber Deakin in Bradford in January 2023.

Spalding had earlier admitted being behind the wheel of the Vauxhall Vectra in which Ms Deakin was a back-seat passenger.

Shakeel Ahmed, 28, a front-seat passenger in the same vehicle, and who was operating the car's gears, was jailed for 11 years and one month for aiding and abetting Ms Deakin's death by dangerous driving.

Both men were also disqualified from driving for 10 years.

The court had earlier heard that Ms Deakin was one of six young people in the Vauxhall Vectra before the crash happened on Baildon Road, near Pasture Road, at about 23:50 GMT on 3 January 2023.

The Vectra had been driven past a police car on Bingley Bypass and after Spalding failed to stop when requested, officers began a pursuit with the car's siren sounding and its blue lights on.

Spalding reaching speeds of up to 81mph (130 km/h) as he fled, driving on the wrong side of the road and veering into the path of an oncoming vehicle.

Despite pleas from the other passengers, including Ms Deakin, to stop and let them out, Spalding and Ahmed continued driving towards Baildon, then back towards Shipley, before Spalding lost control of the car as he drove it around a bend.

The court heard that the vehicle then hit a kerb and a garden wall before flipping onto its side.

Ahmed fled the scene and some of the other passengers managed to get out of the vehicle, but Ms Deakin and Spalding were left trapped inside.

Spalding was eventually cut free by firefighters, but Ms Deakin, who was the mother of a young son, was found to be unresponsive and was declared dead at the scene.

A post-mortem examination revealed Ms Deakin had suffered a "blunt force" injury to her right temple and a fractured arm and she was most probably not wearing a seatbelt, although that could not be proved conclusively, Bradford Crown Court was told.

The Recorder of Bradford, His Honour Jonathan Rose, said Ms Deakin's life had been "stolen" by Spalding and Ahmed.

"The family will one day have to tell her child why mummy is not coming back, ever," he said.

In a victim statement read out to the court, Ms Deakin's mother, Hayley Norton, described the "emptiness" she now felt as "overwhelming".

"Since that tragic day, my life has been filled with unbearable sorrow. Every day is a struggle," she said.

In November last year, Spalding, of Wharncliffe Crescent, entered a guilty plea to causing death by dangerous driving.

Ahmed, of Moresby Road, was originally due to face trial, but admitted his charge in February this year.

Recorder Rose explained that due to Spalding's early plea he had, by law, to reduce his original sentence by a third, but Ahmed's would only be cut by a quarter due to his delay in admitting guilt.

The judge ordered that Spalding, who only had a provisional driving licence at the time of the crash, should take an extended driving test before being allowed back onto the roads once he was released.

Both were given extended licence conditions upon their release of four years and 11 months for Spalding and five years six months for Ahmed.

Speaking after the sentencing, Det Con Lindsey Pickles, from West Yorkshire Police's Major Collision Inquiry Team, described the actions of Spalding and Ahmed as "simply reckless and stupid".

"They showed no regard for the law, the passengers who were in the vehicle or other road users," Det Con Pickles said.

"Amber was a young mum who had her whole life ahead of her. Her child will grow up without knowing her.

"This is the stark reality of the consequences of driving dangerously on the roads. Her death could have been avoided."

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