A driver without insurance who drove for 10+ years and had not had a driving license, crashed into an uninsured patient and then killed the victim just minutes after being discharged from the hospital.
Dalsooz Hussain (49), was traveling with his wife, six-year old son, and a rented van when he collided with Colin Penman (44), outside of St James’ Hospital, Leeds.
Just after being released from hospital, Mr Penman fell onto the road and stumbled.
An officer stopped by Hussain’s vehicle to help him.
But he ignored all warnings and hit Mr Penman seconds later.
The Kurdish national who had multiple driving convictions before this collision did not put the brakes on the silver Tourneo until the accident, when the victim was ‘dragged under the car’.
Penman was not visible in his vision because he claimed to have been blinded at the full beam headlights.
Hussain pleaded guilty, however, to the charge of causing death by driving without insurance and was sentenced to 14 months in Leeds Crown Court. Hussain was also prohibited from driving for a period of two years.
Colin Penman (44), from Sunderland died when he was struck by a minibus made of silver Ford Tourneo in Beckett Street.
Officers at the scene in Leeds of the fatal accident. Shortly after being discharged from St James’ Hospital in Leeds, Penman was walking with a crutch. He stumbled into the road and then fell to his death.
David McGonigal, the prosecution, stated to the court that Hussain rented the Ford Tourneo through a London-based rental company at about 1 p.m. on the day of fatal collision.
When he left London, he was accompanied by his six-year old son and wife in the minivan.
According to the prosecutor, Hussain didn’t have a UK driving license and wasn’t insured to drive.
Penman had been released from the hospital after he was diagnosed with mental illness and was now walking to a bus stop nearby using a crutch.
The Toyota Yaris’ driver saw him then appear to be stumbling into the road.
After a quick U-turn by the Yaris driver to make sure Mr Penman was OK, a police van arrived on the scene.
McGonigal said that Hussain had driven within the limit of 30 mph on Beckett Street in order to get towards the police van.
The police officer placed the van’s headlights on full beam when he was about 25m away from Mr Penman. He also turned the sirens on while the Yaris driver sounded the horn.
Mr McGonigal added: ‘The defendant was to tell police he became blinded by the full beam and distracted by the horn so didn’t see Mr Penman lying in the carriageway.
The car drove into Mr Penman. After that, the defendant braked. The Tourneo was then used to drag Mr Penman under it for a brief distance.
Penman sustained multiple neck and head injuries, and was declared dead on the spot at 1.20 AM.
Hussain was convicted of a variety of driving offenses. He was also banned from driving for 12 months in November 2010, after he was caught behind the wheel without insurance.
Hussain was convicted of numerous driving offenses in the past and has now been sentenced to 14 months imprisonment
He was penalized six points in May 2018 for driving without insurance or a license and under the influence.
On November 19, 2019, he was sentenced to two counts of driving with no license, and one count of having no insurance.
Recently, he was found guilty of driving with no license in April 2013. He received five points in addition to a fine.
Hussain was initially charged with careless driving resulting in death, but the prosecution dropped all evidence and the verdict was not recorded.
Imran Khan, an aggravating party, stated that Hussain holds a license abroad and that he was very sorry for what had happened.
Passing sentence, Judge Tom Bayliss QC told the court Hussain was ‘flagrantly in disregard’ to UK driving laws.
His explanation was that you did not possess a UK driving permit and never have. This means you are not eligible to drive the car.
“You have been driving without a license in the UK for many years.
“Despite the warnings you received, you still drove illegally and in violation of UK law.
He said that for driving with no license, the maximum penalty is to be sentenced to two years imprisonment.
Hussain from Seaforth Place in Harehills was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment and prohibited from driving for two-years.