Colin Agyei, a 32-year-old man of Ghanaian descent, was sentenced to six years in prison for causing the death of a five-year-old boy by dangerous driving in Leeds. The incident occurred on July 7, 2022, when Agyei drove his Nissan Note down a no-entry street in Beeston, Leeds, striking Abdullah Ebrahim, who had run across the street without expecting a car to be present.
Abdullah Ebrahim was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after arriving. The Leeds Crown Court heard that Agyei initially admitted only to a lesser charge of careless driving but was ultimately found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving last month. He was sentenced following that verdict. The court also heard that Agyei's conduct during the trial was questionable, with his account of the incident changing several times.
The mother of the victim, Salma Begum, delivered a victim impact statement describing the moment she learned her son had been left at the scene without Agyei stopping to render assistance. She expressed her pain and grief, stating that she would "never forget the image of Abdullah lying on the floor on his own" and that it was "something I carry every single day."
Begum also addressed Agyei's conduct during the trial, stating that she felt he was not telling the truth about what happened. The family had waited four years between the incident and sentencing, with Begum describing the pain and emotional suffering they had endured during that time, including having to attend court and relive the circumstances of Abdullah's death.
West Yorkshire Police described the collision as entirely avoidable had Agyei obeyed the no-entry sign. Detective Sergeant Steve Suggitt of West Yorkshire Police's Major Collision Enquiry Team said, "This collision was completely avoidable had Agyei complied with the no entry sign and not driven into Back Camberley Street." He also acknowledged the limits of the judicial outcome in the face of such loss.
The police statement highlighted that Abdullah would not have been expecting a vehicle to be driving up the road and did not have time to react. Suggitt added that while Agyei has been given a custodial sentence, "no sentence can ever in any way equate to the lifetime of grief that Abdullah's family face."
Key points
- Colin Agyei was sentenced to six years in prison for causing the death of 5-year-old Abdullah Ebrahim by dangerous driving in Leeds, UK.
- The incident was described as entirely avoidable had Agyei obeyed the no-entry sign.
- The victim's mother, Salma Begum, expressed her pain and grief in a victim impact statement, describing the emotional suffering her family had endured over four years.
