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Http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/south_yorkshire/7909510.stm

Peer jailed for motorway texting
A Labour peer who sent and received text messages minutes before he was
involved in a fatal crash on the M1 has been jailed for 12 weeks.

Lord Ahmed, 51, was driving his Jaguar when he hit a stationary car in
the outside lane of the motorway - Martyn Gombar, 28, was killed.

Lord Ahmed, of Rotherham, had admitted driving dangerously.

Mr Justice Wilkie said: "It's clear the dangerous driving had no causal
link to the accident."

The crash happened near to junction 35 of the southbound carriageway at
Rotherham on Christmas Day 2007.

Mr Gombar, who was Slovakian, was living in Leigh, Greater Manchester,
at the time of his death.

“ By reason of the prolonged, deliberate, repeated and highly
dangerous driving for which you have pleaded guilty, only an immediate
custodial sentence can be justified ”
Mr Justice Wilkie
He had crashed into the central reservation, leaving his Audi facing the
wrong way in the third lane of the motorway.

One motorist had already clipped his car and another had to take evasive
action to avoid it.

The court had heard how Lord Ahmed sent and received a series of five
text messages while driving in the dark at speeds of, and above, 60mph
along a 17-mile stretch of the motorway.

Mr Justice Wilkie made clear the texting incident had no bearing on the
fatal collision.

Sentence 'nothing'

But he added: "It is of the greatest importance that people realise what
a serious offence dangerous driving of this type is.

"I have come to the conclusion that by reason of the prolonged,
deliberate, repeated and highly dangerous driving for which you have
pleaded guilty, only an immediate custodial sentence can be justified."

Earlier, Jeremy Baker QC, defending Lord Ahmed, put a series of points
of mitigation to the judge including the peer's years of service to the
community and the country.

The barrister also pointed to Lord Ahmed's attempts to help Mr Gombar
and how he took it upon himself to warn other motorists about the
incident at some personal risk to himself.

Lord Ahmed will serve half of his sentence in jail and half on licence.
He was also banned from driving for a year and ordered to pay £500
prosecution costs.

Outside court Lord Ahmed's solicitor, Steve Smith, said he thought his
client had been used as a "scapegoat" by those attempting to drive home
the message about not using a mobile phone while at the wheel.

He said he was launching an immediate appeal against the sentence.

He said: "I've been with him. He's very philosophical. He's approaching
it with great dignity."

Members of Mr Gombar's family said they were not happy with the
sentence.

His cousin, David Cicak, said he was hoping for a long prison term.

"He could be out in six weeks, that's nothing."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/south_yorkshire/7909510.stm

Published: 2009/02/25 12:53:42 GMT

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