Dangerous Redditch driver sentenced at court

The sister of a dangerous driver who killed a woman in a Redditch crash last April has today (Friday 27 June) been sentenced to 12 months for her own role in the fatal collision.

Sanaa Shahzad, 20, of Farndon Close, Redditch also became the first person successfully prosecuted and convicted by West Mercia for refusing to give police the password or pin to a mobile phone when she appeared at Worcester Crown Court.

Shahzad was found guilty in May for her role in the fatal crash caused by her brother Khizer Ali, 24, and of the same address, where his reckless driving behind the wheel of a VW Golf killed a woman and caused her husband to suffer life-changing injuries on 23 April 2024.

Victim Valerie Ayres, who was 65 years old, was killed instantly when Ali crashed into her and husband David, aged 70, in their Vauxhall Meriva. The couple from Alvechurch had been travelling into Redditch to go shopping.

They had no chance of avoiding Ali’s out-of-control car when he hit them head on on the wrong side of the A441 Alvechurch Highway at 59mph on the 40mph speed limit road at around 2.30pm that day. 

Shahzad had lent the car to another unknown man, before letting her brother Ali drive it for which she pled guilty to two counts of causing or permitting the use of a vehicle without valid insurance or a licence at Redditch Crown Court on May 16.

She had also been caught on the dashcam of the Golf driving dangerously and at excess speed around Redditch earlier that day for which she was convicted of dangerous driving.

Shahzad changed her plea to guilty at court to a further charge of refusing the password or pin to her mobile phone under Section 49 of Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA).

She was sentenced to 12 months for the driving offences and to three months for the RIPA offence, which will run concurrently.

She was also banned from driving for three years and six months and ordered to take an extended retest.

Detective Constable Rose Hughes, lead investigator for this case, said: “We are pleased to get this sentence for Shahzad who bears some of the responsibility for the outcome of a tragedy where a woman was killed and her husband was caused life-changing injuries too.

“She should never have leant her brother the car, especially as she knew he was a learner driver with no insurance, and her own attitude towards other road users was evidently lacking from the dangerous way she drove herself the same day.

“We are also pleased to get West Mercia’s first conviction under RIPA. Shahzad deliberately obstructed our investigation into the fatal crash by refusing us the password to her phone, and I am glad this has been recognised by the court with a custodial term.”

• Last year 56 people were killed and 516 were seriously injured in road traffic collisions across Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire.

Keeping those who use the roads safe is a 24/7, year-round priority and West Mercia Police will continue to target those road users who choose to break the law to help make the roads safer for all and reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured.