Racing drivers jailed after causing life-changing injuries to off-duty police officer in South Yorkshire

Sheffield Crown Court heard on December 23 how cousins Amaan Ghani and Haseeb Ashraf, both aged 20, had been racing at speeds of around 90mph on Warren Vale, at Rotherham, when Ghani’s BMW 1 Series car collided head-on with off-duty police constable Martyn Joyce’s vehicle.

Brian Outhwaite, prosecuting, said: “Ashraf’s vehicle pulled into a field and Ghani’s vehicle collided head-on with PC Joyce’s vehicle causing both cars front impact damage with both going into the air for a short momentary period.”

PC Joyce suffered a broken leg and arm, a damaged knee and memory loss and he is enduring a traumatic recovery after the collision on March 25, 2020, according to Mr Outhwaite.

Mr Outhwaite said: “His airbag in his vehicle deployed. All he could see was smoke. He could not see out and he could not open the door and he thought the car was on fire. He described being in agonising pain.”

Ghani and Ashraf had left work at a call centre about 9pm when they began racing along Warren Vale, according to Mr Outhwaite, and overtook a vehicle on a blind bend before overtaking other vehicles and driving side-by-side.

Mr Outhwaite said they reached estimated speeds of between 90mph and 100mph and as Ashraf pulled out in his Vauxhall Astra partially in front of another vehicle he broke heavily and was forced to pull back in which meant Ghani was unable to do the same.

Ghani subsequently accelerated into the opposite carriageway overtaking Ashraf and as PC Joyce saw Ghani and Ashraf’s vehicles coming towards him Ashraf’s Astra went into a field and Ghani’s BMW collided head on with his vehicle.

Firefighters had to cut PC Joyce free and he was taken to hospital where he stayed for over a month undergoing repeated surgery before moving temporarily to Portsmouth, where his family could help him recover.

PC Joyce, who has a daughter, is still awaiting further surgery to lengthen his right fractured leg which is now 30mm shorter than it should be and the collision has affected him physically and mentally.

He stated: “The injuries have completely impacted on my career, my family life, my relationship, my finances and on my mental health.”

PC Joyce – a former RAF serviceman – also stated he has endured terrible things having served in Afghanistan but the collision nearly broke him.

Ghani, of St John’s Road, East Dene, Rotherham, and Ashraf, of Coleridge Road, near Eastwood, Rotherham, both pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Jessica Heggie, defending, said Ghani, who has expressed remorse, was also injured and those who know him say he has since shown growing maturity especially after the birth of his first child.

Peter Byrne, defending, also said Ashraf is genuinely sorry and he understands how traumatic this incident must have been for other road users and he is relieved nobody was killed.

Recorder Mark McKone QC told Ghani and Ashraf: “Ultimately, this amounted to racing with a total disregard to the safety of others in pursuit of your excitement.”

He sentenced both defendants to 26 months of custody each in a Young Offender Institution and banned them from driving for four years.