The driver guilty of killing 21-year-old KU student Hina Shamim outside Penrhyn Road campus was sentenced for five years and three months in prison after jurors gave a majority verdict, a court at The Old Bailey heard on January 26.
Farid Reza was “racing” the second defendant, William Spicer, with five children in his car, when he hit Miss Shamim as she was crossing the road on her way to the library, and was convicted with death by dangerous driving.
The victim’s father, Shamim Kahn, read a statement to the court before the verdict was given.
He said: “For every parent their child is precious. Hina was my life.
“Hina was robbed of her life, and we were robbed of a daughter and a sister.”
Miss Shamim was in her final year studying sports science on March 31 2015, and was handing in her dissertation when she was killed.
Reza was also convicted of injuring one of the children who was in his car when it collided with Miss Shamim and veered into a double-decker 418 bus.
The minor, who cannot be identified, suffered a fractured skull, jaw and collarbone.
Reza kneeled towards Miss Shamim’s father and pleaded for forgiveness while the verdict was given in court.
During the sentencing Judge Richard Marks QC told Reza: “The reason why this terrible tragedy occurred is because you were travelling at a grossly excessive speed.”
Reza pleaded not guilty and claimed he had picked up speed after passing the crossroads near Kingston Crown Court because he was being tailgated by Mr Spicer and feared for his own safety.
This plea was disproved by CCTV evidence in court, and Mr Spicer received the less serious verdict of careless driving.
He was fined £1,500 and handed nine penalty points on his driver’s licence.
Kingston’s Islamic Society (ISOC) have raised over £20,000 in memory of Miss Shamim, which will go towards the construction of new water wells in the Philippines, as well as a new Masjid (Mosque) named ‘Masjid Hina’ in Pakistan.
Balsam Maki
Dharmi Dave
Alex Bennett