A driver ​who was using her phone at the wheel when she killed a cyclist and seriously injured another has been jailed for four years and six months, with the victims’ families urging motorists to put away their phones when they are driving.

Sania Shabbir, aged 27 and from Redditch, Worcestershire, had initially denied causing the death of Martyn Gall, aged 41, by dangerous driving, and causing serious injury to James Middleton, 33, by dangerous driving.

She changed her plea on the day her trial was due to begin at Birmingham Crown Court in April, two and a half years after the fatal crash on the morning of 14 November 2020 on the A441 Alvechurch bypass.

Besides the four and a half year sentence for killing Mr Gall, Shabbir was handed a two and a half year prison term for the serious injury charge, to be served concurrently.

She has also been banned from driving for four years nine months and will be required to pass an extended test should she wish to regain her licence once her period of disqualification has expired.

After Shabbir was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court yesterday, the families of both victims issued statements via their solicitors, Leigh Day.

Mr Gall’s widow, Diane, said that while it was “good to finally see justice done today … we could have been spared the distress of a prolonged court process if Sania Shabbir had admitted her guilt two and a half years ago, instead of the day her trial was about to start last month.”

She said that the loss of her husband, with whom she had two daughters aged in their teens at the time of his death, had “ripped apart” his family and friends and that “nearly three years later his loss is still unbearable.”

Mrs Gall also acknowledged the support that she and her family had received from the charity RoadPeace, adding: “I will continue to work with them to campaign for safety on the roads and today I just want to say to all drivers that every day people are killed on the roads. Just think about that and don’t be the person whose driving destroys lives.”

The crash left Mr Middleton with a life-changing brain injury, with his fiancée Antonia Wells saying: “In an instant, one mistake, one lapse in concentration of the driver changed everything.

“James’s injuries were horrific, he will never be able to live the life he had before that day and together we must live with the consequences of the driver’s actions forever.

“Despite that, I know that we were the lucky ones as James survived the collision,” she added. “I want to express our deep sadness that Martyn did not survive.”

Leigh Day partner Bethany Sanders, who represented both families, said: “This is a truly tragic case. Many lives were torn apart by the impact of this road traffic collision, and I hope that this sentence serves as a lesson and deterrent to others who drive whilst distracted by their mobile phones.

“To hear of the messages sent, photographs taken and social media apps used during the course of the Defendant’s journey, was truly shocking.

“Understandably the victims and their families want to raise awareness of the implications of driving when distracted or not giving full focus when behind the wheel.

“Cars are potentially dangerous weapons and drivers should take their responsibility to other road users, especially cyclists, very seriously,” she added.

https://road.cc/content/news/jail-distracted-driver-who-killed-cyclist-301907