Drug addled hire-car fraudster hit and killed dad-of-four
Flats make headlines at ex-Times office
A FORMER newspaper office headquarters has been transformed into six new one-bedroom flats.
The old Radcliffe Times building in Radcliffe town centre had been out of use for some time but has since undergone major works.
Now, the Church Street West site has been brought back into use following a conversion into affordable council flats, which were quickly snapped up.
But a further four one-bed flats, again at affordable rent, are being built next to the site and the work is nearly complete.
Coun Clare Cummins, Bury council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “It demonstrates the council’s commitment to delivering affordable homes to meet housing need in the borough.” This apartment scheme is one of several affordable housing schemes the council has finished in recent years.
Council leader Eamonn O’ Brien said: “I am really pleased that the building is now enjoying a fresh lease of life with its distinctive facade kept intact, as well as providing stylish new flats for affordable living.”
A MAN who pretended to be his brother to hire a Range Rover, then ran over and killed a loving dad-offour after taking a cocktail of drugs has been jailed.
In the months before being put behind bars, the driver, Rizwan Ali, continually posted pictures and videos of himself with expensive cars on his social media account.
Colin Olawumi, a 65-year-old care home worker, was walking across the road at a pedestrian crossing when he was knocked down by a Range Rover Sport in Topp Way, Bolton
The hired 4x4 was being driven at almost 61mph - twice the speed limit - by Ali.
Ali had been stationary at a traffic light moments earlier, but accelerated hard once the lights turned green, even speeding up just before hitting Mr Olawumi.
Ali had taken cocaine and cannabis and was seven times over the legal driving limit for the main metabolite of cocaine.
Ali had used his brother’s driving licence to hire the Range Rover, as he was too young and was therefore uninsured. Ali was charged with causing death by dangerous driving, causing death by careless driving while over the prescribed limit, causing death while driving uninsured, and fraud.
Peter Cadwallader, prosecuting, said Ali initially denied he was driving dangerously and insisted he was travelling at 30mph. Judge Graeme Smith said Ali even alleged Mr Olawumi had run into the road. Ali had admitted fraud but waited until the day of his trial to plead guilty to the rest of the charges.
In a victim impact statement, Mr Olawumi’s daughter Dionne Olawumi said: “Our family life can never be complete. There are so many things I want to say to my dad but can’t.”
At Bolton Crown Court, Ali, of Russell Street in Heaton, Bolton, was sentenced to three years and five months in jail and banned from driving for four years and eight months
Judge Smith told him: “I do not accept that, even now, you have taken full responsibility for what happened.”
Colin Olawumi