Court of Appeal doubles jail term for driver who killed cyclist

A hit-and-run driver who killed a cyclist has had his prison sentence doubled at the Court of Appeal after judges ruled that the original jail term handed down of four years was  “unduly lenient.”

Syed Ahmed, aged 32, who was travelling at more than twice the speed limit when he struck 31-year-old cyclist Jay Kristiansen from behind, will now spend eight years in jail.

The fatal crash happened in the early hours of 24 July 2020 on Romford Road, Forest Gate, east London, reports Mail Online.

Ahmed, from Newham, had been driving his Audi A8 at speeds exceeding 65mph in a 30mph zone according to CCTV footage.

He did not stop at the scene and his car was later found abandoned, but several days later handed himself in to police.

In August, he was jailed for four years by Judge Sandy Cavan after being convicted by a jury at Snaresbrook Crown Court of causing death by dangerous driving.

The sentence was appealed by Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson on the grounds that it was unduly lenient.

In their judgment handed down yesterday, appeal court judges Lord Justice William Davis, Mr Justice Morris and Judge Sylvia de Bertodano said that the trial judge had not taken current sentencing guidelines into account when determining the punishment imposed on Ahmed.

In the judgment, Lord Justice Davis said that Ahmed had “ignored the rules” of the road, pointed out that he was driving at a speed “significantly in excess” of the 30mph limit, and described his behaviour after the crash as “reprehensible.”

In a statement released after Syed was sentenced in August, Mr Kristiansen’s family said that he was “a funny and caring young man, in particular he had a great kindness and love of animals.

“He still had so many hope and dreams, including having a family of his own. We will not be able to see him realise those dreams.

“'Today we finally got justice for our cheeky little chappie. We will miss you forever, life isn't the same without you here.”

Following the original sentence, Acting Detective Sergeant Liz Carrey of the Metropolitan Police said: Ahmed’s reckless actions that day led to the death of young man, which has devastated his family and friends. I would like to recognise their dignity throughout the trial, which has been incredibly difficult for them.

“Our investigation showed that Ahmed had no regard for public safety, with CCTV showing that he had been driving at over 65mph in 30mph zone. After the collision he drove away, leaving Mr Kristiansen with catastrophic injuries, relying on other members of the public to call for help.

“Time and time again we see the devastating impact of dangerous driving and it is right that Ahmed has received a custodial sentence today, I hope that the sentence handed down today serves as a warning of the potential consequences of driving recklessly,” she added.