Delivery driver who killed five-year-old boy while taking a short cut through 'no entry sign' is jailed for six years

A delivery driver who killed a five-year-old boy while taking a short cut through a 'no entry' sign has been jailed for six years. 

Abdullah Ebrahim was struck down on a Leeds backstreet on July 7, 2022 by 32-year-old Colin Agyei, who had driven the wrong way in order to save time. 

Abdullah's mother, Salma Begum, watched in horror as her son - who later died in hospital - lay on the street and Agyei carried on without stopping his vehicle.

On Thursday, Agyei, of Knottingley in West Yorkshire, was jailed for six years at Leeds Crown Court after being found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving by a jury last month. He was also handed a driving ban of more than seven years.

In an emotional statement, Ms Begum told the court she is haunted by the image of her son lying alone in the road after he was run over and killed. 

She said: 'I will never forget the image of Abdullah lying on the floor on his own. That image has stayed with me for four years. It is something I carry every single day.'

The court heard Agyei - who was driving a black Nissan Note - drove past a 'no entry' sign and proceeded the wrong way down one-way Back Camberley Street, Beeston, because it saved time while he made deliveries.

It was then he collided with five-year-old Abdullah as the youngster ran across the road. The boy sadly died in hospital shortly following the incident. 

Abdullah Ebrahim was struck down on a Leeds backstreet in 2022 by delivery driver Colin Agyei, who carried on without stopping 

Colin Agyei was jailed for six years at Leeds Crown Court after being found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving 

Judge Tom Bayliss KC, sentencing, said Agyei took Abdullah's life 'for no better reason' than it saved him time as a delivery driver. 

He said: 'The one-way system was clearly signed and you had ample opportunity to observe these signs.

'It's a narrow street separating back gardens of two rows of terraced houses. The sort of place where children may either be playing or crossing.'

Judge Bayliss added Agyei was not speeding but his speed was still 'inappropriate' for the narrow backstreet. He also accepted Agyei was remorseful and had been 'oblivious' to the collision.

'This was a little boy,' he concluded. 'It's hard to imagine a more vulnerable road user.'

Ms Begum told the court she failed to understand why Agyei failed to stop and left her child in the street. 

She said: 'I attended the trial and had to sit and listen to the defendant say that he did not see my son. I heard his account change several times, and I felt that he was not telling the truth about what happened.

'The jury took only around 40 minutes to find him guilty on all counts.

'For me and my family, however, the pain did not end with that verdict. We have waited four years for justice. During that time, I have had to go through this awful ordeal again and again. Having to attend court, hear the evidence and relive the circumstances of Abdullah's death has caused me enormous emotional suffering.'

Ms Begum then asked the court to remember that behind the evidence, the charges and the verdict is a family who has lost someone they love.

'Four years have passed, but my grief has not passed. I still miss my son. I still think about him every day,' she said.

Speaking after sentence, Detective Sergeant Steve Suggit of West Yorkshire Police’s Major Collision Enquiry Team described Abdullah's death as a 'truly tragic incident'. 

He said the collision could have been 'completely avoidable' had Agyei complied with the no entry sign. 

'Young Abdullah would not have been expecting a vehicle to be driving up the road and did not have time to react,' Detective Suggit said.

'While we estimate that Agyei was driving at a relatively low speed of around 15mph, during our investigation we thoroughly tested the back street and found that because of the nature of the road you cannot drive safely on it at speeds of over 7mph.

'Agyei admitted a lesser careless driving offence but was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving.

'While he has been given a custodial sentence, I know that no sentence can ever in any way equate to the lifetime of grief that Abdullah's family face.'