'You killed that little boy': Driver who crashed into family after stealing Porsche jailed
The toddler died at Birmingham Children's Hospital following the collision on Dartmouth Road, Smethwick, which took place just before 11pm on December 14 last year - while his mother remains unconscious in hospital to this day having suffered life-changing injuries.Shahzad, from Great Barr, ran away from the collision but was arrested two days later after forensic examinations discovered his finger prints on the false number plate of the Porsche and his DNA from the vehicle's airbag.He initially denied causing death by dangerous driving but changed his plea to guilty in April.
Shahzad also admitted two charges of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified, driving with no insurance and failing to stop after a collision.He had clocked speeds of 51mph in a 30mph zone and drove on the wrong side of the road leading up to the fatal smash.A total of eight finger prints were discovered on the false number plate, while the Porsche had been taken from nearby Walsall during a sales test.Shehbaz and his family had been travelling home from attending a family's birthday when the collision happened.
Shehbaz was in the back of the Toyota with his parents and was being held in his dad's arms, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.The Toyota was driven by Baljit Singh, who was also seriously injured.Shahzad had a history of driving offences and appeared before Magistrates' in May last year for driving without a licence or insurance.His offending got worse when, on June 10 last year, he took police on a high-speed chase on the M42 after making off in a Audi A4 Avant that had been been advertised on Facebook in Belton, Leicestershire.After reaching speeds of nearly 150mph and swerving through motorway cones, he was only stopped when police were forced to crash into him, injuring an officer in the process.
Shahzad appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday where he was sentenced for the fatal Smethwick crash and the June 10 police chase.Judge Jonathan Gosling ordered him to serve 15 years and four months behind bars, after giving him 20 per cent credit for his later guilty pleas.The judge told him: "You have destroyed the lives on Amritpal and Kushpreet and devastated their family and friends."You killed that little boy and seriously injured other people in the car."Your true character was revealed by what you did afterwards, just as you did on June 10."Shahzad was also banned from driving for 18 years and three months.
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