A dangerous driver left a student for dead lying in the road "as if she was nothing" after a horrific crash.
Freya Griffiths, 21, had her jaw smashed on both sides and suffered an agonising broken right leg after speeding driver, Adel Hussain, ploughed into her on Bagot Street in Wavertree. Sarah Griffin, prosecuting, at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday, October 18, told the court that shortly after midnight on November 25 last year, Miss Griffiths and her friend Emily Buckingham were walking along the pavement.
They were making their way to the home of another friend, Ellie Taylor, to catch an Uber into town and as Miss Griffiths was walking diagonally across the road towards the her friend, she heard a car approaching from behind. The car was apparently accelerating and revving loudly.
READ MORE: Woman found living in hedge for three years so cat wouldn't be alone
Ms Griffin said: "She then heard Miss Buckingham scream ‘Freya, No’ before she was struck from behind. She felt her right leg snap before she was thrown in the air and landed on the road.
"She then heard the vehicle sound as though it was accelerating away. She felt immediate pain to her head and both legs.
"Blood was running from her head and her friends tried to apply pressure to stem the flow."
After knocking the 21-year-old into the air over the bonnet of the VW Golf the driver, Hussain accelerated away without stopping or returning. Liverpool Crown Court heard that he claimed he thought he just clipped a wing mirror and not realised he had struck anyone, but a judge rejected his story.
At 5.45 am a patrolling police officer saw a black VW Golf and knowing about the collision spoke to the driver who gave his brother’s name. The constable saw damage to the nearside front bumper and bonnet and damage to the fog lamp housing and a dent near the front nearside door pillar.
Hussain was arrested and at the police station gave his correct details. In an interview he said it was his brother’s car, which he was insured to drive. He had finished a 12 hour shift at 6 pm and then went to a friend’s home to watch Liverpool FC match.
Ms Griffin said: “He claimed to have had his music on loudly and that whilst he was on Bagot Street he thought that he may have clipped the wing mirror of another vehicle and so he did not stop to investigate. He stated that he looked in his rear view mirror but he didn’t see anything.
“Officers describe that the defendant was visibly shocked when he was shown to footage. The defendant accepted giving his brother’s name in order to get him into trouble as they had a long standing family dispute over a business."
Meanwhile the victim had been taken to hospital and needed surgery to repair her broken jaws and leg. Shocking dash cam footage of the collision from the Uber cab was played to the court.
Jailing him for two years Judge David Potter told him: “I am satisfied that your explanation is not accurate and you must have been aware from the violence and force of the collision that you had struck a pedestrian, and simply panicked and drove off.”
He pointed out that the victim, a bio-medical student, remained conscious throughout her horror ordeal and her anguish was increased by him failing to stop.
Judge Potter said: “You paid no heed to the obvious presence of a pedestrian in the road and you struck that pedestrian.”
The judge added that while the victim has made a “miraculous” clinical physical recovery she is still beset with pain and suffers psychologically.
In an impact statement Miss Griffiths, now 22, told how she feared she was doing to die at the scene and felt that the driver had driven off “as if she was nothing.” Her jaws were wired which made eating - which was initially impossible - and talking very painful.
She told of the agony of the removal of the wires which took an hour and which pain relief did not assist. She lost ten kilos in weight and is now worried as she is at risk of blood clots in her lungs because of the titanium rod permanently fixed in her leg.
She had a 10 cm laceration to her scalp and her teeth were smashed which needed dental work. She was captain of the university horse riding team but expects it will be a long time before she will be strong enough for that sport again.
The student also told how she has been left with “brain fog” and is constantly tired and has trouble concentrating and her once excellent memory has deteriorated. She is waiting for a neurological assessment to ascertain if these issues relate to a head injury in the accident or are psychological.
She was on crutches for two months and missed half a semester at university. She has nightmares every night as well as flashbacks and panic attacks.
The woman said she had been left with unsightly scars on her leg and may need further surgery to remove one of the pins inserted during surgery. She is having physiotherapy and psychological counselling.
She concluded her statement by saying it has damaged her faith in humanity. She said: “It has left a sour view of the world in my mind.”
Hussain, 34, of Prescot Road, Old Swan pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, failing to stop after an accident and obstructing a police constable in the execution of his duty. Judge Morgan banned him from driving for four years.
Lloyd Morgan, defending, said that Hussain is “a wholly respectable family man” who has never been to prison and words could not express the shame he felt for the trauma he had caused the victim and her family. He had pleaded guilty and had been shocked when he saw the video footage and realised he had caused the injuries she suffered.
Mr Morgan said: “It is something he has to live with for the rest of his life.”
Mr Morgan added that the defendant is the dad-of-two very young children and imprisonment would affect his family financially. He added: "He looks out through a veil of tears on a world full of shame and regret."
READ NEXT:
Curtis Warren 'banned from WhatsApp' when released from prison next month
Paedophile who filmed half-naked young girl on phone spared jail
Woman 'spat at' for being ginger crowned Miss England
Teacher banned after texting child 'I miss you' and buying him gifts
