Drink-driver jailed for crash that injured friend

Sarah Johnson was in court yesterday to see Kleem Ashraf sent to prison after he admitted dangerous driving, inflicting grievous bodily harm and driving over the limit.

Miss Johnson was severely injured last August when Ashraf’s Vauxhall Tigra went out of control and crashed on the Huddersfield Road close to Calderdale Royal Hospital.

Bradford Crown Court heard that Ashraf, 35, of Steeplands, Bradley, Huddersfield, was twice the drink-drive limit at the time of the early morning crash and his vehicle had been travelling at about double the speed limit.

Prosecutor Robert Galley said in the crash Miss Johnson suffered fractured ribs, a punctured left lung and pelvic fractures requiring surgery.

Eleven days after the accident she had to have screws inserted into her pelvis.

The crash victim was still receiving out-patient treatment in October last year.

The court heard that Ashraf had previous convictions for driving while disqualified dating back to 2003 and 2004.

His barrister Zarif Khan said his client would be remorseful for the rest of his life and no doubt realised the consequences of his stupidity on that particular day.

Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC told Ashraf: “You were driving so fast you lost control, collided with a street lamp and other street furniture causing significant damage to your car and life-threatening, certainly life-changing, injuries to your passenger and then friend Sarah Johnson.”

Ashraf was sentenced to 20 months in prison in relation to the dangerous driving and inflicting grievous bodily harm with an additional four months behind bars for the drink-driving offence. He was banned from driving for five years and ordered to take an extended re-test at the end of the disqualification.