The family of a nine-year-old boy who was killed by a speeding driver today branded British justice a “joke” after the man’s 21-month jail sentence was cut almost in half.
Redwan Uddin was riding on the handlebars of his brother’s bike as they played near their east London home when Ibrahim Waseem, 23, crashed into them at 39mph in a 20mph zone.
He was jailed for 21 months at Snaresbrook crown court in November but on Tuesday had his sentence cut to 12 months by appeal judges. It means he could be released after serving six months following his conviction for causing death by careless driving.
The boy’s tearful uncle, Abu Ahmed, 25, an accountant from Whitechapel, today told of the family’s “devastation” at the new sentence, which he branded “a holiday”. He added: “We have lost faith in the British justice system. It’s a joke. We applied to have the 21-month sentence lengthened but we didn’t even get a reply. He appeals and he has his sentence halved.
“We have to live with this for the rest of our lives and he could be out after six months. The justice system favours the criminals and not the victims.”
Marks & Spencer worker Waseem had been driving in Woodhouse Grove, East Ham, near the brothers’ home, when he lost control of his Mazda on a speed hump and ploughed into the boys in June 2012.
Waseem, who was convicted of driving without insurance in 2008, fled the scene and dumped his car but later turned himself in to police. Lady Justice Rafferty, sitting with Mr Justice Collins and Judge Nicholas Hilliard, said the appeal court’s “heart goes out to Redwan’s family”. But Waseem was “extremely remorseful”, she said, and pointed out the crash occurred as Redwan was perched on the handlebars of a bike, without a helmet, travelling the wrong way down a one-way street.
Lady Justice Rafferty concluded: “We are confident that 21 months was manifestly excessive.”
Waseem was also disqualified from driving for at least 12 months.
