Man charged after car driven wrong way on M1 in Wakefield
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Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Double-decker bus driver who killed girl, nine, after ploughing into her high on drugs has sentence increased to six years and eight months
A double-decker bus driver who killed a nine-year-old girl when he crashed into her while high on drugs has had his jail term increased. Martin Asolo-Ogugua, 24, was sentenced in April to four years after he ploughed into Ada Bicakci as she travelled to a gymnastics class with her father and brother in Bexleyheath, south London. He was found to be three times the legal level of cannabis having been up all night at a social event. Asolo-Ogugua and had been seen yawning and driving the bus erratically minutes before the crash in which he appeared to have fallen asleep for '15 seconds'. Ada died two days later in hospital, with Asolo-Ogugua jailed after admitting causing her death by dangerous driving and driving while unfit through drugs. The Solicitor General referred his sentence to the Court of Appeal, arguing at a hearing on Wednesday that it was 'unduly lenient' and should be increased. Three senior judges ruled the sentence should be raised to six years and eight months, and that Asolo-Ogugua should be disqualified from driving for five years upon his release. Lord Justice Dingemans, sitting with Mr Justice Hilliard and Sir Robin Spencer, said that Asolo-Ogugua had 'acknowledged that he had destroyed his victim's family, and his own', but had 'disregarded the risk of danger to others for the period that he was driving'. He said: 'He must have appreciated that he was in no fit state to drive, but continued to drive.' Peter Ratliff, appearing for the Solicitor General, told the court that Asolo-Ogugua worked as a bus driver for Arriva and arrived for work on the morning of August 3, having only returned home from a social event at around 6.30am. He left a depot in Dartford at around 8.45am in a double-decker bus, with CCTV from the cab showing Asolo-Ogugua 'yawning repeatedly, appearing drowsy, his eyes appeared to close on occasion, and other road users noted his vehicle was being driven erratically' over around 13 minutes, Mr Ratliff said. Asolo-Ogugua then appeared to fall asleep for 'up to 15 seconds', with the bus drifting across the road and colliding with Ada in Watling Street, Bexleyheath. After being arrested at the scene, he admitted the two offences in April this year and was jailed at Woolwich Crown Court. Mr Ratliff continued that Asolo-Ogugua's sentence should be increased as there was 'a lack of attention to driving for a substantial period of time' and driving 'when deprived of adequate sleep'. He said: 'He must have appreciated from the outset, if he had not already, that he was in no fit state to drive and what he was doing was therefore inherently dangerous.' The barrister acknowledged that Asolo-Ogugua 'made efforts to seek assistance for the victim' at the time of the collision and had subsequently 'demonstrated clear remorse'. Asolo-Ogugua watched proceedings via a video link from HMP Isis in south London, with his mother in attendance at court. Gregory Fishwick, representing him, said the case was a 'tragedy', and that while the sentence 'might be classified as lenient', it was 'not unduly so'. He said: 'He will never forget this. It was a tragedy, one that he will feel forever.' Following the hearing, Solicitor General Lucy Rigby said: 'Martin Asolo-Oguagua's selfishness needlessly took the life of a young girl, causing irreparable damage to a family. 'I welcome the court's decision to increase his sentence and would like to extend my deepest sympathies to Ada's family.'
The Independent
12 hours ago
- The Independent
Bus driver who killed schoolgirl after taking drugs has sentence increased
A bus driver who was jailed for killing a nine-year-old girl who was cycling along the pavement has had his sentence increased at the Court of Appeal. Martin Asolo-Ogugua, 24, fall asleep at the wheel with drugs in his system before fatally colliding with Ada Bicakci as she travelled to a gymnastics class with her father and brother on August 3 last year in Bexleyheath, south London. He was found to have almost three times the legal level of cannabis in his system. Ada died two days later in hospital, with Asolo-Ogugua jailed for four years in June this year after admitting causing her death by dangerous driving and driving while unfit through drugs. The Solicitor General referred his sentence to the Court of Appeal, arguing at a hearing on Wednesday that it was 'unduly lenient' and should be increased. Three senior judges ruled the sentence should be raised to six years and eight months, and that Asolo-Ogugua should be disqualified from driving for five years upon his release. Lord Justice Dingemans, sitting with Mr Justice Hilliard and Sir Robin Spencer, said that Asolo-Ogugua had 'acknowledged that he had destroyed his victim's family, and his own', but had 'disregarded the risk of danger to others for the period that he was driving'. He said: 'He must have appreciated that he was in no fit state to drive, but continued to drive.' Peter Ratliff, appearing for the Solicitor General, told the court that Asolo-Ogugua worked as a bus driver for Arriva and arrived for work on the morning of August 3, having only returned home from a social event at around 6.30am. He left a depot in Dartford at around 8.45am in a double-decker bus, with CCTV from the cab showing Asolo-Ogugua 'yawning repeatedly, appearing drowsy, his eyes appeared to close on occasion, and other road users noted his vehicle was being driven erratically' over around 13 minutes, Mr Ratliff said. Asolo-Ogugua then appeared to fall asleep for 'up to 15 seconds', with the bus drifting across the road and colliding with Ada in Watling Street, Bexleyheath. After being arrested at the scene, he admitted the two offences in April this year and was jailed at Woolwich Crown Court. Mr Ratliff continued that Asolo-Ogugua's sentence should be increased as there was 'a lack of attention to driving for a substantial period of time' and driving 'when deprived of adequate sleep'. He said: 'He must have appreciated from the outset, if he had not already, that he was in no fit state to drive and what he was doing was therefore inherently dangerous.' The barrister acknowledged that Asolo-Ogugua 'made efforts to seek assistance for the victim' at the time of the collision and had subsequently 'demonstrated clear remorse'. Asolo-Ogugua watched proceedings via a video link from HMP Isis in south London, with his mother in attendance at court. Gregory Fishwick, representing him, said the case was a 'tragedy', and that while the sentence 'might be classified as lenient', it was 'not unduly so'. He said: 'He will never forget this. It was a tragedy, one that he will feel forever.' Following the hearing, Solicitor General Lucy Rigby said: 'Martin Asolo-Oguagua's selfishness needlessly took the life of a young girl, causing irreparable damage to a family. 'I welcome the court's decision to increase his sentence and would like to extend my deepest sympathies to Ada's family.'
Telegraph
15 hours ago
- Telegraph
Unregulated e-bike batteries ‘risk to public safety', warns coroner
A coroner has warned that online lithium battery sales pose a 'significant and growing risk to public safety', after the death of a 28-year-old in a house fire that was started by his e-bike. Mohsin Janjua had bought the part on eBay and tests of one from the same store, thought to originally be from China, it did not comply with UK safety standards. The e-bike suddenly caught fire on the night of Dec 2 2023, when Mr Janjua was sleeping on the sofa next to it. He was able to alert his mother and son, who escaped through the front door, but he died when re-entering the building to try and save his brother. Believed to have been trapped inside, he had actually jumped to safety. Martin Fleming, the senior coroner for West Yorkshire, has warned that unregulated lithium-ion batteries bought online pose a 'significant risk' to the public. The inquest heard that Mr Janjua, from Bradford, had replaced the previous electric motor with the lithium-ion battery just a week before he died. On the night of Dec 2 2023, he had plugged the e-bike into the living room mains to charge whilst he slept on the sofa. However, the battery 'catastrophically failed' and set the Carrera bike on fire. When the fire brigade arrived, they found the 28-year-old in an upstairs bedroom. Officers initially thought he was unresponsive but later found he had already died.
