Driver jailed for six years after killing five-year-old boy in Leeds crash

Abdullah Ebrahim died after being hit by a Nissan Note driven by Colin Agyei on Back Camberley Street in Leeds on Thursday (Jul 7), 2022.

Agyei, 32, of Pear Tree Grove, Knottingley, drove past a no-entry sign into the narrow back street, which is not generally used by vehicles, and hit Abdullah as he ran across the road.

The five-year-old was taken to hospital but died shortly afterwards.

An investigation by West Yorkshire Police's Major Collision Enquiry Team found that Agyei had been travelling at an estimated speed of around 15mph. Officers established that vehicles could not safely travel along the back street at speeds above 7mph.

Agyei admitted a lesser offence of careless driving but denied causing death by dangerous driving.

Following a trial at Leeds Crown Court in August 2026, he was found guilty of causing Abdullah's death by dangerous driving.

He returned to Leeds Crown Court on Thursday (Sep 24), where he was sentenced to six years in prison.

In a victim personal statement read to the court, Abdullah's mother, Salma Begum, described the lasting impact of losing her son and the distress of Agyei leaving the scene.

She said: “What I cannot understand, and what I will never forget, is that he failed to stop and left my child there. I will never forget the image of Abdullah lying on the floor on his own. That image has stayed with me for four years. It is something I carry every single day.”

Reflecting on the trial and the family's four-year wait for justice, she added: “I attended the trial and had to sit and listen to the defendant say that he did not see my son. I heard his account change several times, and I felt that he was not telling the truth about what happened.

“The jury took only around 40 minutes to find him guilty on all counts.

“For me and my family, however, the pain did not end with that verdict. We have waited four years for justice. During that time, I have had to go through this awful ordeal again and again. Having to attend court, hear the evidence and relive the circumstances of Abdullah’s death has caused me enormous emotional suffering.”

She asked the court to remember that behind the evidence, charges and verdict was a family who had lost someone they loved.

“Four years have passed, but my grief has not passed. I still miss my son. I still think about him every day,” she added.

Detective Sergeant Steve Suggitt, of West Yorkshire Police’s Major Collision Enquiry Team, said: “This was a truly tragic incident that resulted in the death of a young boy and robbed a family of a lifetime of shared memories.

“This collision was completely avoidable had Agyei complied with the no entry sign and not driven into Back Camberley Street. Young Abdullah would not have been expecting a vehicle to be driving up the road and did not have time to react.

“While we estimate that Agyei was driving at a relatively low speed of around 15mph, during our investigation we thoroughly tested the back street and found that because of the nature of the road you cannot drive safely on it at speeds of over 7mph.

“Agyei admitted a lesser careless driving offence but was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving. While he has been given a custodial sentence, I know that no sentence can ever in any way equate to the lifetime of grief that Abdullah’s family face.”