Driver guilty of causing deaths of mum and daughter

A driver who raced another man who fatally struck a mum and her four-year-old daughter has been convicted of causing death by dangerous driving.

Justyna Hulboj, 27, and her daughter Lena Czepczor were killed when they were hit by an Audi TT RS as they walked to the girl's nursery in Leeds on 16 January 2023.

Jasskamal Riyat, who was driving a BMW1 Series closely behind when the fatal crash happened, had denied racing the Audi's driver, Hardeep Bhachu, who previously admitted causing both their deaths.

But a jury convicted the 37-year-old of the same offences on Friday after a week-long trial at Leeds Crown Court. Both men will be sentenced on 26 October.

Prosecutors had earlier told the trial that Riyat had travelled down the road, which has a 40mph road limit, at 89mph shortly before the crash.

Riyat, who works in car sales, was also said to have been holding his phone and recording Bhachu as he set off from some traffic lights, telling the video: "Watch this guy let it off."

The pair, who were not known to each other, had earlier wound down their windows to have a conversation at a set of traffic lights, the court was told.

Jurors heard Riyat was forced to stop by the wreckage of the fatal crash, but after taking photos he drove around the scene and travelled on to work.

Riyat claimed he was not racing Bhachu and initially told police he had been "doing a steady 40" along the road, adding that he may have gone over the speed limit because he was on his way to a work meeting.

He changed his estimate to 50mph after watching footage in court.

The jury took less than two hours to unanimously convict Riyat, of Buckstone Avenue in Leeds, of two counts of causing death by dangerous driving.

Judge Ray Singh warned Riyat that he would "inevitably" be sent to prison for "a long time" when the sentencing hearing takes place.

Det Insp Paul Conroy, of West Yorkshire Police, said: "This was an absolutely horrifying collision that I know even shocked experienced collision investigators.

"An innocent mother and daughter who were simply making their way to school never made it there and tragically never made it home because of the selfish, reckless actions of these two men."

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.