Greater Manchester Police have issued a stark warning to drivers after a remorseless man killed a beloved dad-of-two whilst driving dangerously with another Audi driver.
Krishan Patel, 24, was doing more than twice the speed limit on Trafford Road, in Ordsall, Salford, when he hit a taxi in September 2020.
Taxi driver William Welsh, 46, suffered multiple injuries and died two days later. Patel was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving following a trial at Manchester Crown Court. He was jailed for four-and-a-half years.
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Daniel Hawkins, 27, of Station Road, Swinton, pleaded guilty in 2022 to an offence of dangerous driving and sentenced to 30 months imprisonment and banned from driving for three years.
Speaking after Patel’s sentencing hearing, Police Sergeant Andrew Page of GMP's Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: "Patel and Hawkins drove with blatant disregard for the safety of other road users and Patel’s actions ultimately led to a man losing his life.
"Patel has failed to take any responsibility for his actions since the incident and despite the overwhelming evidence against him, has failed to admit his guilt.
"I can only hope that as he undertakes his custodial sentence the true gravity of his actions and the lasting effect it will have on all those involved will sink in.
"An innocent life was lost that day, and thoughts are firmly with the victim’s family and I hope today’s sentence and conclusion of criminal proceedings will go some way towards helping them grieve and come to terms with their loss.
“I hope this case also serves as a warning to others of the devastating consequences that can arise from driving dangerously and I urge the public to adhere to the rules of the road which are put in place for the safety of all."
Prosecuting, Brian Berlyne earlier said that just after 9am on September 10, 2020, Mr Welsh was driving with no passengers along the dual carriageway, which has a 30mph limit.
He moved into a filer lane to turn right onto Phoebe Street. "As Mr Welsh began to approach the junction, danger was approaching from the opposite direction," Mr said added.
Two Audis driving along Trafford Road south were driving at speed. The first vehicle was driven by Daniel Hawkins.
“The Audi behind Mr Hawkins was being driven by Mr Patel. There is no evidence that Mr Patel knew Mr Hawkins or communicated with him. He was simply driving an Audi at high speed, and the other Audi also happened to be driving at high speed.”
Mr Hawkins was driving his vehicle at ‘high speed’ towards the junction with Phoebe Street, and as he approached, another car, which was not Mr Welsh, began to turn right from Trafford Road, the court heard.
Mr Hawkins appeared to brake and narrowly avoided collision with that car before driving off, the prosecutor said.
Mr Patel, who was allegedly driving at high speed behind Mr Hawkins, ‘would have been able to catch a brief glimpse’ of the near miss, and continued to drive at high speed.
As Patel approached the junction, Mr Welsh appeared in the opposite direction, preparing to turn right. "Mr Welsh began to make that right turn and [Patel] was driving so fast he was unable to stop on time. Mr Patel collided with Mr Welsh’s vehicle," Mr Berlyne said.
Mr Welsh was thrown from the car into the road. Patel, who was initially trapped in his car, was able to get out. He stayed at the scene.
PC Paul Terry, a forensic collision investigator, concluded Patel was driving at 65mph - more than twice the speed limit.
The court heard Mr Welsh was sitting on top of his fastened seatbelt at the time of the crash - and Patel's lawyer tried to claim that Mr Welsh contributed 'significantly to both the collision and the death'.
But sentencing Judge Elizabeth Nichols rubbished those claims, telling the defendant: "I wonder, if a child had run into the road, would you have sought to blame them as you blamed Mr Welsh? It is tragic he was not wearing a seatbelt, not that that killed him - it was the collision at speed that killed him."
Patel, of Stephenson Street, Preston, was jailed for four years and six months. He was banned from driving for seven years and three months.
