Bentley driver cleared of racing with stranger who killed young brothers

Hamza Shahid was cleared of any wrongdoing over the deaths of Pawanveer Singh, 23 months, and his brother Sanjay, 10.

Pawanveer Singh and his older brother Sanjay (West Midlands Police/PA) (PA Media)

A Bentley driver accused of taking part in a high-speed road race has been cleared of causing the deaths of two young brothers by dangerous driving.

Hamza Shahid had denied racing at 72mph with an Audi which reached 92mph before crashing into a BMW at traffic lights, killing Pawanveer Singh, 23 months, and his 10-year-old brother Sanjay.

The driver of the Audi, Mohammed Sullaiman Khan, 27, pleaded guilty to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving before Shahid’s trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

During the three-week trial, prosecutors claimed Shahid had taken part in a spontaneous race on Wolverhampton’s Birmingham New Road in March 2019.

Prosecutors alleged Shahid, of Newbridge Road, Birmingham, was guilty of causing death by dangerous driving because he was racing with the Audi and “the race caused the deaths”.

In evidence during his trial, Shahid denied taking part in any “competitive driving” and said he was not responsible in any way for the crash.

The communication systems worker, 36, told the court he was doing 50mph in his five-litre Bentley Continental when the Audi overtook him as he returned home from work.

Jurors deliberated for about nine hours before unanimously acquitting Shahid of causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and an alternative charge of dangerous driving.

Jurors convicted one of Khan’s brothers, Mohammed Asim Khan, 34, of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice following the crash.

Another brother, lawyer Mohammed Adil Khan, 35, was found not guilty of the same charge.

A fifth man, Rashane Henry, 32, of Fairway Green, Bilston, Wolverhampton, was also cleared of taking part in the conspiracy, in which Mohammed Sullaiman Khan fled the crash scene and falsely claimed his Audi A3 had been stolen by a burglar.

The trial was shown CCTV footage of Mohammed Sullaiman Khan relaxing at a burger bar in Birmingham about an hour after the crash, having been picked up by a friend.

Further evidence presented to the jury included CCTV of the Audi travelling at about 92mph in a 40mph zone seconds before the fatal impact.

Judge Michael Chambers KC remanded Mohammed Asim Khan, of Shaftmoor Lane, Hall Green, Birmingham, on bail.

He will be sentenced alongside Mohammed Sullaiman Khan, of Pershore Road, Edgbaston, on a date to be fixed.

We as parents of Sanjay and Pawanveer miss them terribly, we will never see them grow up into teenagers and then later as adults. We have been robbed of that

Part of the statement issued by the victims' family

In a statement issued after the case, the parents of Sanjay and Pawanveer said: “Sanjay attended Cotwall End Primary School, Sedgley where they have made a sunshine garden.

“This garden has provided a safe secure place where our family and friends can visit. It’s there where we feel at peace after the sad loss of both of our sons.

“We as parents of Sanjay and Pawanveer miss them terribly, we will never see them grow up into teenagers and then later as adults. We have been robbed of that.

“Our boys were taken away in a blink of an eye on the 14th March 2019. The day that our lives and our home died too.

“With the support of our family, friends, loved ones, colleagues and professionals like Victim Support and Edward’s Trust we have developed a new way of living again with this constant pain and bleed in our hearts.”