Jail for driver who killed seven-year-old boy in Bradford crash

A taxi driver who knocked down and killed a seven-year-old boy who had been left home alone has been jailed.

Malakye Hall managed to get out of his house in Bradford before being hit by a car driven by Moshin Hussain at the junction of Manchester Road and St Stephens Road at 10pm on 11 August, 2020.

Malakye's mother, Wendy Hall, who had left him by himself to visit her partner, was later jailed for neglect.

A court heard Hussain, 32, was not working at the time of the crash and had failed to renew his licence as a taxi driver with Bradford City Council.

The father-of-three had previous cautions and reprimands for speeding and other driving offences and that he was under the influence of cannabis at the time of the collision. 

Footage seen in court showed Hussain speeding and driving through red lights.

Prosecutor, Abigail Langford said: "In an interview he denied being responsible for causing the collision and identified that Malakye had ran into the road unexpectedly.

"In a prepared statement he expressed remorse that Malakye had been killed as a consequence of this incident."

Hussain, of Carlisle Terrace, admitted causing death by dangerous driving. 

Jailing him for nine years and nine months His Honour Judge Rose told Hussain Wendy Hall's neglect "doesn't absolve you for the death of the child".

The judge said: "Nothing that this court can say and no sentence that this court can pass can ever compensate for the loss of a little boy.

"They [his family] continue and will continue to mourn his passing and suffer their own trauma resulting from the death of this child. A death which you must bear primary responsibility."

In a statement, Malakye's family told the court: "Malakye was the cheeky playmate as our youngest sibling, he was loved and liked by all those who knew him well. We will miss watching him turn into the man he would have become.

"We have been robbed of our childhood with him but also robbed of a future life as adult siblings with Malakye.

"The actions that led to the death of our brother Malakye have affected our lives immensely. His death was a smack in the face, a real shock to us all. It has completely changed our lives in terms of where we live, our schooling, the loss of neighbours and friends we grew up with and our overall confidence in trusting people or environments we find ourselves in.

"The sentence of losing Malakye will never end, it is a life sentence for us."