Man on trial over Aleena death ‘drove like boy racer’
AWITNESS described two motorists as driving like ‘boy racers’ moments before a nineyear-old died in an accident in Rawtenstall, a court heard.
Mohsen Saddique denies causing death by dangerous driving.
Prosecutors have accused him of ‘lying’ and ‘blaming everyone else’ for the collision and ‘refusing to accept any responsibility’.
Mr Saddique, who denies the accusations, had been driving behind Adil Manir’s speeding Audi A5 in a VW Golf when Manir lost control of his car on Bacup Road on September 18 last year, mounted the pavement and hit Aleena Kausar, the trial was told.
The schoolgirl had been walking to mosque with her mother at the time.
The court heard claims that Mr Saddique had been tailgating his friend at high speed ‘encouraging’ him to drive dangerously before a collision.
But Mr Saddique, 23, said he was slowing down at the time of the collision to stop at a friend’s house and has denied encouraging Manir to drive quickly and perform an overtaking manoeuvre which led to Aleena’s death.
Ahmed Nadim, defending Mr Saddique, told a jury at Burnley Crown Court that the prosecution had tried to infer his client is a ‘monster, unpleasant, callous and unkind’.
He said: “He has given no encouragement or support and not contributed to the circumstances that led to Manir making that voluntary, independent decision to execute that manoeuvre.
“There’s a total absence of evidence where the issue of encouragement is concerned.”
Mr Nadim said Mr Saddique had not tried to ‘hoodwink’ the police during his interview and made ‘admissions against his own interests’ and concessions.
He told the jury: “An unjust verdict would not be any sort of fitting tribute to mindless loss of life that has been occasioned by Adil Manir.”
Jeremy Grout-Smith, prosecuting, said CCTV footage showed Manir and Mr Saddique acceler- ating at ‘considerable speed’ along the road before the collision and said one witness described the drivers as ‘boy racers driving in a silly way’.
He told the jury: “His conduct is encouraging Mr Manir in the Audi to keep driving quickly. That’s dangerous driving.”
Mr Saddique, formerly of Rawtenstall, and now of Rowsley Street, Keighley, has pleaded not guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.
Manir, 20, formerly of Rawtenstall, and now of Chatsworth Street, Keighley, has pleaded guilty to the same charge and is awaiting sentence.
The judge finished his summing up on Wednesday and the jury have begun their deliberations.
PROCEEDING