Dad's 'world fell apart' as wife and daughter killed by callous BMW driver who fled crash
George Philips said he felt "empty" after reckless after the Boxing Day tragedy, which was caused by a driver who lost control and fled after doing up to 84mph - almost three times the speed limit - as he raced another car.
Four generations of the same family were in an MG hit by Mohammed Ibrahim's BMW 420 in Shard End on December 26, 2023.
READ MORE: Less than 14 years for speeding driver who killed mum and daughter in Christmas horror
READ MORE: Evil granddad murdered grandson as his mum and grandmother 'watched abuse unfold'
READ MORE: 84mph driver 'racing another BMW' before crash which killed mum and daughter
Both cars were destroyed and Birmingham Crown Court heard Amanda Riley, 49, and Linda Philips, 72, were left to die "on a cold roadside, scared and in tremendous pain".
But instead of trying to help, callous Ibrahim, 25, was heard saying: "I need to go" before he turned up at Heartlands Hospital for treatment.
In a statement read to the court as the motorist was sentenced today, Wednesday, July 16, Mr Philips said: "Our family are the centre of our world. The aftermath (of the crash) was the complete devastation of my family.
'My wife and daughter had both died. My world fell apart. I felt an immense emptiness.'
His wife and daughter were both hard-working, doted on their families and would help anyone, Mr Philips added.
The court heard Ibrahim had been travelling 'in convoy' with a BMW X3 at up to 84mph in a 30mph zone. His car crashed into a quad bike and then hit the MG.
The women both died at the scene. Four other family members in the MG suffered injuries, including a fractured sternum, a broken leg requiring surgery and bruising to the lungs.
Philip Vollans, prosecuting, said the victims were travelling home from family celebrations on the evening of Boxing Day 2023.
Before showing video footage to the sentencing judge of Ibrahim's car speeding past a bus towards the crash site on Meadway, at its junction with Kitts Green Road, Mr Vollans said the driver of the BMW X3 had never been traced.
Mr Vollans said of the two BMWs: 'Both cars were speeding, both cars racing each other.
'The defendant was the faster driver of the two.'
Estimating that Ibrahim was speeding for at least half a mile before the 'tremendous' impact, reaching 80-84mph, Mr Vollans added that the defendant initially hit a quad bike, which had run a red light, and lost control while in the wrong lane.
Ibrahim, of Old College Road, Sheldon, then hit the kerb of the central reservation and crashed into the family's car as it slowed down on the opposite carriageway. The driver's seat of the MG was knocked out of its fixings and it caught fire, leaving its occupants trapped as a member of the public attempted to free them.
A witness saw Ibrahim, who was saying 'I need to go', lying on the ground near the driver's side of the BMW before he left the scene.
His car was also on fire following the crash, the court heard.
The court heard Ibrahim was caught on CCTV at Heartlands, where he was treated for a leg injury, and he later returned to the scene, where he was arrested but refused a breath test.
Mr Vollans added: 'Both cars were completely destroyed as a consequence of this collision.'
Three relatives of the victims, including the driver of the car, read victim impact statements to the court, with one describing those killed as having 'died fighting for their lives, lying on a cold roadside, scared and in tremendous pain'.
Defence barrister Jasvir Mann, offering mitigation, told the court that Ibrahim had no previous convictions and there was ample evidence, including references, that he had 'led a thoroughly positive life'.
Mr Mann said: 'My instructions are that he has no meaningful memory of that day.'
The actions of the quad bike rider, who also left the scene and has never been identified, had contributed to what happened, Mr Mann added.
Ibrahim pleaded guilty earlier this year to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
The defendant was due to be sentenced by Judge Paul Farrer KC later on Wednesday.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
11 hours ago
UC Berkeley professor murdered in Greece: Ex-wife's attorney says she is innocent
The ex-wife of Przemyslaw Jeziorski, a marketing professor from the University of California, Berkeley, says she was not involved in his murder, her attorney told ABC News. Jeziorski, a 43-year-old associate marketing professor at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, was allegedly shot and killed in Athens on July 4 near the home where his two children -- Zoe and Angelo -- live, his younger brother said in a statement. The children, who are 10-year-old twins, had been living with Jeziorski's ex-wife in Athens since 2020, according to court documents. In a press release shared on July 17, police said an attacker "approached the victim and shot him in the chest and back, resulting in his fatal injury, and then fled." Five people have been arrested in connection with the killing, including the professor's ex-wife, her boyfriend and three other men who were allegedly accomplices in the murder, according to Greek police sources. All five suspects appeared in court in Athens on Monday, with the judge ordering they remain in custody until the investigation, the ex-wife's attorney, Alexandros Pasiatas, told ABC News. But, Pasiatas said he is fighting for the ex-wife's release from prison as he says she is innocent. Four out of the five suspects -- everyone except the ex-wife of the professor -- pleaded guilty to the murder, Pasiatas said. The professor's ex-wife, Konstantina Michelidaki -- who goes by Nadia Michelidaki -- says she was not involved in the murder of Jeziorski, according to Pasiatas, despite friends of the professor previously telling ABC News their relationship "was not cordial" and court records indicating Jeziorski tried to file a restraining order against his ex-wife months before his death because he was "fearful" for his life. Pasiatas denied any allegations of emotional, physical or financial abuse from Michelidaki or her partner. "Nadia is a very nice lady. She's a very good mom. But the most important thing you can say about Nadia is that she doesn't want violence at all," Pasiatas told ABC News. "You have to be only a dreamer in order to say that Nadia has organized that." Pasiatas confirmed that Michelidaki's boyfriend, who is only referred to as "Christos" in court documents, was the person who shot Jeziorski, he said. Pasiatas believes Christos killed the professor because the children were "anxious about going with their father" and he decided to "take the law into his hands" -- even though Jeziorski and Michelidaki were privately involved in an ongoing custody and division of property battle. The attorney claims that the custody battle and division of property were complete. But Jeziorski's brother told ABC News a court settlement was reached that would allow the professor to take the children "for the entire month of July and for Christmas," but his ex-wife "refused to hand them over and hadn't prepared their passports." Christos allegedly was "very traumatized from his own family" and the "only thing he wanted was a nice and peaceful family," Pasiatas said. But Christos saw the "children felt unhappy," Pasiatas said. Pasiatas said Christos was "very good with the children" but did have "psychological issues." He added that Michelidaki, Christos and the children were "uncomfortable" with Jeziorski's girlfriend, who Pasiatas said was an escort who "used to take drugs" and would send messages to the mother saying "your children are idiots." Pasiatas said he believes Jeziorski was still dating this woman up until his death. The attorney also accused the professor of "alcohol problems" and that the children -- who speak to Michelidaki over the phone while she is in prison -- "don't ask about their father, they ask about Christos." He added that the children are aware that their father has died, but not the "way" of his death. As to the accusations against Jeziorski's behavior, his brother, Lukasz Jeziorkis, told ABC News in a statement that Michelidaki is a "liar and manipulator" and that UC Berkeley -- where his brother worked -- would not "tolerate a person with such accusations for even a single day." Lukasz Jeziorski also criticized Michelidaki for staying with Christos and having him spend time with the children. "Why did she stay with and allow such a 'man' as this murderer to be around the children? What kind of mother behaves like that?" Lukasz Jeziorski said in a statement. Lukasz Jeziorski said his brother's children -- who are both U.S. and Polish citizens -- are "under care in accordance with Greek child custody procedures," he said in a statement last week.
New York Post
12 hours ago
- New York Post
NYC Corrections, cops help give away hundreds of bikes to needy kids: ‘It keeps the positivity going'
They're braking cycles! Hundreds of needy Big Apple kids got free bikes at an event hosted by city Corrections officers and the NYPD on Friday — as parents from hardscrabble areas gushed that the giveaway helped youngsters feel less fearful of figures in uniform. Roughly 400 kids and teens got brand-new bicycles, donated by Department of Corrections workers, at the event dubbed 'Christmas in July' at JHS 231 in Springfield Gardens, Queens. 3 Around 400 children living across the Big Apple received free bikes at an event hosted by the NYPD, along with the Department of Corrections, on Friday. James Messerschmidt NYPD workers provided the venue — the department's summer youth police academy — and helped teach bike safety. 'It keeps the positivity going in the neighborhood, you know, it's a good thing to see NYPD, Corrections [doing this],' said Michelle Pemberton, a 55-year-old DMV worker, whose grandsons got bikes at the event. 'Children grow up and usually look at these kind of figures and think of fear, and [authorities are] opening the door up to brightness for them and showing them that there's positive, like models from these agencies,' she said. 'It's a good thing.' Keyarah Robinson, 17, scored a turquoise mountain bike at the giveaway. 'I like it, I like it for my age,' she told The Post. 'It's very good for my height. I don't have to sit here and feel uncomfortable on my bike.' 3 The event, dubbed 'Christmas in July,' took place at JHS 231 in Springfield Gardens, Queens. James Messerschmidt Tazion Authers, 7, landed a blue bike. 'I like this bike because it has blue stuff,' the boy said. The children's mom, Patrice Tucker, 41, a daycare worker who was at the event with her four kids, all of whom got bikes, said, 'It's really nice. 'Merry Christmas,' she said. Detective Tanya Duhaney of the NYPD Community Affairs Bureau said many of the children at the event live at nearby shelters. 3 The majority of the children at the event live in nearby shelters, as Detective Tanya Duhaney of the NYPD Community Affairs Bureau said, 'It is important to let our kids know that we do care about them.' James Messerschmidt 'It is important to let our kids know that we do care about them. It's summertime, and we want to just engage them and also teach them to give back,' she said. 'We're here to do our jobs and at that is to protect and serve. And this is the service part of us giving back and showing these kids that we're not robots. We're human just like them.' Christmas in July, which began in 2018, raked in a total of roughly 700 bikes for kids, the rest of which will be given away at a later date, Duhaney said. The bikes were bought as part of a competition between the city's jails, organizers said. 'It is extremely special for us because one of our most fundamental values is an agency is care, and it's care not only for our staff and people in custody but also for the communities that we serve,' said DOC Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie. 'Each facility, they challenged each other and made it a real competition, and they were really excited to be able to do that so we could give back to the community,' the commish said. 'One of the things I would just want to point out is, children in our communities, regardless of social status, they should have access to bikes and books and resources that are critical to make sure that they thrive. And as a mom, that's really important. I'm really proud of my bonus family.'
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Couple finds love at Aldi in Willmar, Minnesota
Jul. 21---- Aldi grocery stores are well-known for their low-priced groceries from private label brands, as well as their infamous "aisle of shame" — an aisle in the middle of the store where people find treasures they never knew they needed. But one local couple found one of the most important treasures at the Aldi in Willmar — love. It all began when Mark Haen decided he needed to do some grocery shopping and invited his granddaughter, Charlotte Kaufenberg, to go with him to Aldi. They went into the store, paid their quarter for a cart and walked into the produce aisle, where Haen accidentally banged into a cart being pushed by Julie Quackenbusch. Haen recalled looking at his granddaughter and saying, "That girl is cute." Quackenbusch commented, "You think in a store this big, we'd have enough room for both our carts," according to Haen's recollection. As Haen and his granddaughter continued to shop, he kept spotting Quackenbusch as they made their way through the aisles and they ended up checking out at the same time. Coincidentally, as they all made their way to the parking lot, their cars were parked right next to each other. As Haen tells it, Kaufenberg said to him, "There's that girl again," at which time Quackenbusch told Haen that she knew who he was through his music. "Now that got me interested, to have someone interested in me," Haen said during an interview with the West Central Tribune. "Because I was not — I don't do well alone, you know. I had been living alone for, I don't know, a year and a half at that time or something." Haen's wife of 47 years, Kathy, died in December of 2022 of lung cancer, leaving him alone to operate and manage Curiosity Cabin and the Airbnb vacation rental that he owns on Diamond Lake northwest of Haen did all he could to keep Quackenbusch talking to him in the Aldi parking lot, learning that she lived in and they had a mutual friend. Haen and his wife had lived in for years before moving to Diamond Lake. The two also found out they both liked to cook. "We talked for quite a while, because I didn't even want to let go of the conversation," Haen commented. "I just would keep talking, because I was so interested in her and she was standing right next to me, smiling." When the conversation eventually came to an end, Quackenbusch left without sharing her contact information. However, Haen found her number and called her up to ask her out. Unfortunately, the day he suggested was and she already had plans to be at her parents' home watching the parade. Haen decided that was not going to stop him. "I had a sports car, the MG, so I thought, 'I'll just get in the parade and see if I can find her,'" he said. He had not registered for the parade beforehand and drove up to the check-in table and asked if he could be part of the parade. The parade officials knew who he was and allowed him to sneak into the parade with other unique cars. "So now all of a sudden, I'm in this parade," Haen said, noting he scanned the crowds of people for Quackenbusch, waving to all his friends that he did know who were lining the parade route, but he did not know where her parents lived and never did spot her. Unknown to Haen at the time, Quackenbusch did see him in the parade, but decided not to make a big deal about it. When she learned that he had entered the parade for the sole purpose of seeing her, her response was, "Huh. It is a cute car," according to Haen. "It just was another crazy thing I did," Haen commented. Haen didn't give up and he and Quackenbusch finally connected and started to date. They learned they had different hobbies — she had her dogs and he had his guitars — which each came to embrace. They started introducing each other to their families — each of them have one adult son and one adult daughter and grandchildren — and spent the weekends with each other, hauling Quackenbusch's dogs, clothing and other necessities to Haen's home each time. Haen eventually suggested she move in with him at Diamond Lake and they both thought it was a good idea, but they should be married first. The couple were married in a small ceremony June 7 at the Saint Paul Hotel, with Haen's brother and sister-in-law, Richard and Terease Haen, serving as witnesses. "I think she's a really nice person and I think she really brought out one of the best parts of Grandpa," Kaufenberg told the West Central Tribune in an interview. "She's really good, because Grandpa was lonely." The happy couple will be celebrating their marriage with friends, family and anyone else who cares to join them on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, during this year's Curiosity Cabin Music Fest, located at 14991 49th Ave. N.E. in rural Atwater. Solve the daily Crossword
