A cyclist miraculously survived a horror crash which killed his friend after spending time in a coma and having part of his skull removed as doctors battled to save him. James Middleton, a keen cyclist for more than a decade, was left with life-changing injuries, including brain damage, after he and Martyn Gall were struck by a dangerous driver as they rode in Alvechurch in November 2020.

Father-of-two Mr Gall, aged 41, from Ayrshire, tragically died and James, 34, was put into an induced coma, suffered a stroke, and had to have a section of his skull removed before spending four months in hospital and undergoing regular physical therapy as part of a gruelling recovery process.

James' life was changed forever that day. His left arm no longer works at all, he has difficulty eating and swallowing, suffers from fatigue and memory loss, while the devastating effects of the crash ended his career in marketing.

Sania Shabbir, 27, of Dale Road, Redditch, was jailed for four and a half years after admitting causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. Despite his ordeal, his love of cycling remains undimmed and James will be the guest of honour as he opens a popular cycling event in Lichfield - and is even hoping to take part himself.

The street velodrome will be running in Bird Street car park on Saturday, June 24 and Burntwood Leisure Centre the following day and is open to everyone, regardless of cycling ability. James, who is supported by fiance Antonia and stepchildren Ben, 23, Blake, 17 and Bella, 14, says he is determined to make the most of his life and is volunteering at Melbourne in Lichfield’s Bird Street, helping out around four times a week.

“It is very exciting, he said. “I feel emotional, honoured and very happy to have been asked to open the event. My heart is in this city.

“The street velodrome looks pretty cool and makes cycling accessible for everyone. If possible, I am hoping to go on an adapted bike.

“I would definitely encourage people to come along and take part. I want to get people on bikes in a safe way and enjoy cycling.”

James' story comes amid calls for more road safety measures in Birmingham following a number of cycling deaths over recent months. For more information visit www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/hellovelo.

QUOTE: Sania Shabbir, 27, of Dale Road, Redditch, was jailed for four and a half years after admitting causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. ENDS

Pity he fessed up and got a reduced jail term.

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> QUOTE: Sania Shabbir, 27, of Dale Road, Redditch, was jailed for four and
> a half years after admitting causing death by dangerous driving and
> causing serious injury by dangerous driving. ENDS

> Pity he fessed up and got a reduced jail term.

But that’s what you tell people to do!

How many times have you said ‘fess up early doors’?

Now someone’s done just that, you don’t like it.

Hypocritical little snide, aren’t you.

--
Spike

QUOTE: The street velodrome will be running in Bird Street car park on Saturday, June 24 and Burntwood Leisure Centre the following day and is open to everyone, regardless of cycling ability. James, who is supported by fiance Antonia and stepchildren Ben, 23, Blake, 17 and Bella, 14, says he is determined to make the most of his life and is volunteering at Melbourne in Lichfield’s Bird Street, helping out around four times a week. ENDS

See - good people will always defeat the violent and dangerous bastards out on the roads.

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> QUOTE: The street velodrome will be running in Bird Street car park on
> Saturday, June 24 and Burntwood Leisure Centre the following day and is
> open to everyone, regardless of cycling ability. James, who is supported
> by fiance Antonia and stepchildren Ben, 23, Blake, 17 and Bella, 14, says
> he is determined to make the most of his life and is volunteering at
> Melbourne in Lichfield’s Bird Street, helping out around four times a week. ENDS
>
> See - good people will always defeat the violent and dangerous bastards out on the roads.

The lorry driver that you plunged in front of might well think the same
thing, between bouts of PTSD.

--
Spike

QUOTE: “The street velodrome looks pretty cool and makes cycling accessible for everyone. If possible, I am hoping to go on an adapted bike. ENDS

Make sure you don't trap some far right bigots in their houses - poor lambs..

On 22/06/2023 04:33 pm, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

> QUOTE: The street velodrome will be running in Bird Street car park on Saturday, June 24 and Burntwood Leisure Centre the following day and is open to everyone, regardless of cycling ability. James, who is supported by fiance Antonia and stepchildren Ben, 23, Blake, 17 and Bella, 14, says he is determined to make the most of his life and is volunteering at Melbourne in Lichfield’s Bird Street, helping out around four times a week. ENDS
>
> See - good people will always defeat the violent and dangerous bastards out on the roads.

Is this the Melbourne in Derbyshire?

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> QUOTE: “The street velodrome looks pretty cool and makes cycling
> accessible for everyone. If possible, I am hoping to go on an adapted bike. ENDS
>
> Make sure you don't trap some far right bigots in their houses - poor lambs.

How many ‘far right bigots’ - or anyone else, for that matter - live in the
Bird Street car park?

Burntwood doesn’t seem to have a leisure centre, although there are some
nearby.

“The street velodrome will be running in Bird Street car park on Saturday,
June 24 and Burntwood Leisure Centre the following day”, so where are the
streets for the ‘velodrome’?

--
Spike

QUOTE: “I would definitely encourage people to come along and take part. I want to get people on bikes in a safe way and enjoy cycling.” ENDS

Don't smile too much - the racist gammons hate it.

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> QUOTE: “I would definitely encourage people to come along and take part.
> I want to get people on bikes in a safe way and enjoy cycling.” ENDS
>
> Don't smile too much - the racist gammons hate it.

Looks like they’ve stopped swivelling…

--
Spike

On Thursday, June 22, 2023 at 2:04:37 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
> QUOTE: Sania Shabbir, 27, of Dale Road, Redditch, was jailed for four and a half years after admitting causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. ENDS
>
> Pity he fessed up and got a reduced jail term.

I got it wrong again - SHE denied it until the last minute.

QUOTE: 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. ENDS

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Thursday, June 22, 2023 at 2:04:37 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
>> QUOTE: Sania Shabbir, 27, of Dale Road, Redditch, was jailed for four
>> and a half years after admitting causing death by dangerous driving and
>> causing serious injury by dangerous driving. ENDS

>> Pity he fessed up and got a reduced jail term.

> I got it wrong again - SHE denied it until the last minute.

So…

It wasn’t a ‘he’

She didn’t ‘fess up early doors’.

> QUOTE: 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. ENDS
>
>

--
Spike

On Thursday, June 22, 2023 at 8:07:34 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
> On Thursday, June 22, 2023 at 2:04:37 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
> > QUOTE: Sania Shabbir, 27, of Dale Road, Redditch, was jailed for four and a half years after admitting causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. ENDS
> >
> > Pity he fessed up and got a reduced jail term.
> I got it wrong again - SHE denied it until the last minute.
>
> QUOTE: 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. ENDS

So that's a de facto ten years driving ban which is a good result - plus the insurance will be sky high. :-)

On 23/06/2023 06:29 am, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

> On Thursday, June 22, 2023 at 8:07:34 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
>> On Thursday, June 22, 2023 at 2:04:37 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

>>> QUOTE: Sania Shabbir, 27, of Dale Road, Redditch, was jailed for four and a half years after admitting causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. ENDS
>
>>> Pity he fessed up and got a reduced jail term.
>> I got it wrong again - SHE denied it until the last minute.

Well... they're all just "P***s" to you, eh?

>> QUOTE: 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. ENDS
>
> So that's a de facto ten years driving ban which is a good result - plus the insurance will be sky high. :-)

Arithmetic was never your long suit, eh, M'Lud?

Or English comprehension [four syllables, sorry]?

Still, that wasn't important when swabbing the decks on the night shift.

On Friday, 23 June 2023 at 06:29:13 UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
> On Thursday, June 22, 2023 at 8:07:34 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
> > On Thursday, June 22, 2023 at 2:04:37 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
> > > QUOTE: Sania Shabbir, 27, of Dale Road, Redditch, was jailed for four and a half years after admitting causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. ENDS
> > >
> > > Pity he fessed up and got a reduced jail term.
> > I got it wrong again - SHE denied it until the last minute.
> >
> > QUOTE: 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. ENDS
> So that's a de facto ten years driving ban which is a good result - plus the insurance will be sky high. :-)

Just put his details into Compare the market and got rejected! :-)

On 23/06/2023 10:39 am, Simon Mason wrote:

> On Friday, 23 June 2023 at 06:29:13 UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
>> On Thursday, June 22, 2023 at 8:07:34 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
>>> On Thursday, June 22, 2023 at 2:04:37 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

>>>> QUOTE: Sania Shabbir, 27, of Dale Road, Redditch, was jailed for four and a half years after admitting causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. ENDS
>>>> Pity he fessed up and got a reduced jail term.

>>> I got it wrong again - SHE denied it until the last minute.
>
....and then forgot that bit.

>>> QUOTE: 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. ENDS

>> So that's a de facto ten years driving ban which is a good result - plus the insurance will be sky high. :-)

> Just put his details into Compare the market and got rejected! :-)

Whose details?

The defendant was a woman (if you know what one of those is, which may
be thought unlikely).

Simon Mason <swldxer2022@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Friday, 23 June 2023 at 06:29:13 UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
>> On Thursday, June 22, 2023 at 8:07:34 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
>>> On Thursday, June 22, 2023 at 2:04:37 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
>>>> QUOTE: Sania Shabbir, 27, of Dale Road, Redditch, was jailed for four
>>>> and a half years after admitting causing death by dangerous driving
>>>> and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. ENDS
>>>>
>>>> Pity he fessed up and got a reduced jail term.
>>> I got it wrong again - SHE denied it until the last minute.
>>>
>>> QUOTE: 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. ENDS
>> So that's a de facto ten years driving ban which is a good result - plus
>> the insurance will be sky high. :-)
>
> Just put his details into Compare the market and got rejected! :-)

I’m not surprised your Compare The Market exercise got that result: ‘he’ is
a ‘she’, and so you lied on the questionnaire.

--
Spike

On Friday, June 23, 2023 at 10:39:07 AM UTC+1, Simon Mason wrote:
> On Friday, 23 June 2023 at 06:29:13 UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
> > On Thursday, June 22, 2023 at 8:07:34 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
> > > On Thursday, June 22, 2023 at 2:04:37 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
> > > > QUOTE: Sania Shabbir, 27, of Dale Road, Redditch, was jailed for four and a half years after admitting causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. ENDS
> > > >
> > > > Pity he fessed up and got a reduced jail term.
> > > I got it wrong again - SHE denied it until the last minute.
> > >
> > > QUOTE: 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. ENDS
> > So that's a de facto ten years driving ban which is a good result - plus the insurance will be sky high. :-)
> Just put his details into Compare the market and got rejected! :-)

Mine has gone down as my windscreen claim has gone off the system.

On 23/06/2023 11:23 am, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

[pretending to answer only himself, said:]

> On Friday, June 23, 2023 at 10:39:07 AM UTC+1, Simon Mason wrote:

[pretending to answer only himself, said:]

>> On Friday, 23 June 2023 at 06:29:13 UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

[pretending to answer only himself, said:]

>>> On Thursday, June 22, 2023 at 8:07:34 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

[pretending to answer only himself, said:]

>>>> On Thursday, June 22, 2023 at 2:04:37 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

>>>>> QUOTE: Sania Shabbir, 27, of Dale Road, Redditch, was jailed for four and a half years after admitting causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. ENDS
>>>>> Pity he fessed up and got a reduced jail term.

>>>> I got it wrong again - SHE denied it until the last minute.
>>>> QUOTE: 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. ENDS

>>> So that's a de facto ten years driving ban which is a good result - plus the insurance will be sky high. :-)

>> Just put his details into Compare the market and got rejected! :-)

> Mine has gone down as my windscreen claim has gone off the system.

The screen or the wipers (at long last)?

A DRIVER has been jailed after killing a loved father in Alvechurch, ripping apart the lives of his family.

Sania Shabbir aged 27 killed Martyn Gall and seriously injured James Middleton when they were cycling together in Alvechurch.

The pair were hit by a car being driven by Shabbir on the Redditch bypass just before 8am on November 14, 2020.

Martyn, 41, was killed and James, now 33, suffered horrific injuries including a serious brain injury and spent four months in hospital, suffering lifelong consequences of the collision.

On Wednesday, June 14 at Birmingham Crown Court Shabbir of Dale Road, Redditch was sentenced to four and a half years in prison.

After initially pleading not guilty to charges of causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving, Shabbir admitted the crimes on the day her trial was due to start in April.

Martyn’s widow, Diane Gall said even though the sentencing won’t do anything to fill the ‘massive Martyn shaped hole’ in their lives ‘it’s good to finally see justice done’.

She said: “Although nothing could ease the grief that we are suffering, 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.

“The day Martyn died, the lives of all of his family and friends were ripped apart and nearly three years later his loss is still unbearable.

“Martyn was everything to all of us, especially me, his wife, and our daughters who lost their dad aged just 15 and 17 when their lives had been full of hope for the future.

“Instead, their world imploded, and we are only starting to try to pick up the pieces.

“The court has heard that the utter devastation we have had to face was caused by dangerous driving and it is right that the driver is held accountable for Martyn’s death.

“There had to be justice for Martyn’s death. I am an educator, I teach children the same thing that Martyn and I taught our daughters – to tell the truth and take responsibility, no matter how hard that is.

"It is some relief to us that there will be accountability for the terrible loss of Martyn’s life.”

Diana thanked RoadPeace, which has supported the family since Martyn’s death, and said she will continue to work for their campaign for safety.

he added: “If I can just make drivers hear my message to drive more carefully so that other families don’t have to go through this so that their dad, husband, or son, wife, mum or daughter is not killed, then maybe something will come out of the utter hell we have suffered.”

James Middleton’s fiancée, Antonia Wells said James was ‘simply out for a bike ride with his friend, doing what he loved best’.

“In an instant, one mistake, one lapse in concentration of the driver changed everything,” said Antonia.

“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. I want to express our deep sadness that Martyn did not survive.”

Shabbir’s full sentence is four and half years’ imprisonment, to be served concurrently with a two-and-a-half-year sentence in respect of the serious injury offence.

She was also disqualified from driving for four years and nine months, with a condition to pass an extended driving test thereafter.

Both families were represented by Bethany Saunders, a partner at law firm Leigh Day. Bethany said the case was ‘truly tragic’ and ‘many lives were torn apart by the impact’ of the crash.

https://www.bromsgroveadvertiser.co.uk/news/23590189.jailed-woman-killed-loving-cyclist-alvechurch-crash/