These are the faces of two pals whose reckless racing led to the tragic death of a little boy as he played innocently in the street.
Safiullah Asif, who was just eight-year-old, was sent 'flying through the air' after being hit by a BMW in Ashton-under-Lyne while he played with his brother and cousin.
After finishing work, Thomas McGrath and Kevin Jones were caught on CCTV having lined their cars up, just moments before the horror smash occurred just before 8.15pm on July 23, 2020.
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McGrath flew down Ryecroft Street at speeds of up 45mph in a 20mph zone, with Jones trailing behind. McGrath, 24, missed Safiulla ‘by chance’ before Jones, 36, hit the boy - sending him ‘flying through the air' whilst they were driving competitively, Bolton Crown Court heard.
A man had shouted at the two men to 'slow down' but their desperate calls were ignored. The same man then reported hearing a 'loud bang' before seeing a small child lying 'motionless in the road.'
Shocking video footage played in court showed the moment of impact. Both defendants looked visibly uncomfortable and had to look away as it was played on the screens in court.
Neil Fryman, prosecuting, said: "Mr Jones could not have driven at the speed he did when he killed Safiullah without Mr McGrath doing the same speed just in front. Had McGrath been driving sensibly then Mr Jones could not have reached the speed that he did behind McGrath."
Despite McGrath not hitting the boy, he was given the same sentence as his co-defendant due to his role in the tragedy. After the collision, Safiullah was taken to Manchester Children’s Hospital where he later died from his traumatic injuries, the court was told.
A moving tribute from the family was read out to the court from Safiullah’s father. "There is nothing in the world worse than losing a child," Mr Fryman read out to the court.
"We always heard this, but we have felt it and we would not wish it upon anyone. We don’t have the words to describe our pain. We wake up each day hoping that it’s just a bad dream."
McGrath and Jones, who both worked for Debt Clear at the time, a financial and insolvency services firm, finished their shift at around 8pm on the night of the collision. Both men were seen on CCTV footage, played to the court, lined up at the edge of Charges Street in their cars, a short distance from their workplace.
Jones, in a black BMW and McGrath, in a blue Volkswagen Polo had a brief discussion before the latter shot off down Ryecroft street - approximately 10 seconds before the tragic collision occurred. Prosecutor Neil Fryman described it as the start of a 'race', as CCTV showed them speeding at an estimated 45 mph down Ryecroft Street, a 20 mph zone.
Shortly before 8.15pm, McGrath’s Volkswagen Polo flew past the two boys playing in the street. About one second later, Safiullah stepped out in front of Jones’ BMW, the court was told. Safiullah suffered multiple bleeds to the brain and fractures, but died the following evening.
Jones, of Gorseyville Crescent on the Wirral, previously pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving. Following a trial, McGrath, of Gorton Road in Reddish, Stockport, was found guilty of the same offence.
Mitigating on behalf of McGrath, David Toal told the court how this incident reflected his youth and inexperience as a driver at the time - when he was 21-years-old. McGrath, who was banned from the roads in 2017 for drug driving had also been given a speeding fine in 2018 once he regained his licence, the court heard.
"All his other circumstances are positive," Mr Toal said. "He did well in school and has always been in work - he runs his own life insurance company. This was effectively a dreadful mistake with tragic consequences. What happened will stay with him for the rest of his life."
Mr Toal went on to say that McGrath plays an important role in the life of his 12-year-old brother who has autism. He explained that his brother will now miss out on that relationship as McGrath serves time in prison.
Defending Kevin Jones, Isobel Thomas told the court how her client pleaded guilty a long time ago and that "he knows he deserves to be punished". She echoed the words of Mr Toal when admitting that what happens in court "will not bring Safiullah back".
"He himself has a stepson who is now 11, the same age Safiullah would have been if he didn’t commit this offence," Ms Thomas told the court. "This has been a stark reminder to him, the life Safiullah would have had if it had not been for his actions."
She went on to say that Jones is a father figure to three children and that they, alongside his family, will suffer from his inevitable imprisonment, the court heard.
Judge Martin Walsh, the Honorary Recorder of Bolton, said before passing sentence that both men were found to be driving 'aggressively and competitively at speed' where the two boys were playing.
Jones, who was also driving without insurance or an active licence at the time of the incident was sentenced to 56 months in prison - the same period as McGrath due to credit for his early guilty plea.
Both men were banned from driving for five years, extended by 28 months 'to reflect one half of the prison time imposed.'
PC Adam Scott of the Specialist Operations Roads Policing Serious Collision Investigation Unit said: "First of all, our thoughts remain with the family of Saffiullah Latif Asif, who grieve and miss their son every single day.
"We are pleased with today’s result, and we hope that this goes some way to help Saffiullah’s family, knowing that both Jones and McGrath are off the streets and cannot hurt anyone else.
"This was an extremely serious road traffic collision, and we would urge everyone to adhere to speed limits and behave in a responsible way on the roads. As this case has shown, standards of driving like this result in the loss of lives and in this case, a young boy’s life.
"These standards will not be tolerated by Greater Manchester Police and we will vigorously target these offenders."
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