'Blind drunk' driver had £116 bar bill before crash which killed Middlesbrough taxi driver

A man who killed a taxi driver after crashing into his vehicle had been driving at speeds of more than 100mph after drinking pints of lager and shots of tequila.

James Hobson’s driving was branded as “some of the worst” seen by Judge Paul Watson, as he jailed him following the horror crash, which killed taxi driver Malik Ameer Abbas on Dixons Bank, Middlesbrough on 29 March 2022.

Teesside Crown Court heard Mr Abbas' Volkswagen Passat was shunted back 50m by the force of the head-on collision.

Hobson's Mercedes had burst into flames and passers-by tried to put it out with extinguishers and buckets of water before Mr Abbas could be pulled from his car. However, he died at the scene after suffering “catastrophic” injuries.

Mr Abbas, who was 27 and from Pakistan and had moved to the UK in 2013, was described as a hardworking man with plans for the future. He worked as a driver for Boro Cars.

The court heard he had been supporting his family in Pakistan, including his parents who both have health conditions and cannot work, and his severely disabled brother.

In a statement read to the court, his family said: “He had always looked after everyone.

“He had many plans and goals to achieve and was a very hardworking, honest person. No-one and nothing can fill the gap which he has left in our hearts and our family owing to his tragic death. Malik was brought back to Pakistan to be with his family.

“As a family our hearts have been broken and we will never get over this.”

The court heard Hobson, now 33, had been at the Highfield pub on the evening of the crash, where he had drunk eight to 10 pints of Peroni and eight shots of tequila.

After settling his £116 bar bill, Hobson was seen on CCTV struggling to find his Mercedes car and appeared to be “clearly under the influence” of alcohol.

After getting into his car, he caught the attention of a police officer due to the speed at which he was travelling.

The court heard a pursuit followed, which saw Hobson accelerate away from the officers, travelling at times in excess of 100mph in residential 30mph zones.

The chase lasted around two and a half minutes - at an average speed of 97mph - and ended when Hobson crashed head-on into Mr Abbas’s car.

The court heard there was evidence Hobson had been on a Facetime call with his then partner before the crash.

Hobson, of Washington Grove, Norton, suffered serious injuries and was taken to James Cook University Hospital. Due to the seriousness of his condition, a sample of his blood was not taken until around four hours later, when – after several blood transfusions - he was found to be more than double the legal driving limit for alcohol.

The court heard Hobson, who pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, was in a coma for a month and suffered injuries which would affect him for the rest of his life.

Richard Hermann, mitigating for Hobson, said he had “extreme and genuine” remorse for what had happened, and had wished to "swap places" with Mr Abbas.

Jailing him for seven years and four months, Recorder of Middlesbrough Paul Watson said: “This is some of the worst driving I have ever seen in recent years.”

He told Hobson: “The bar bill speaks for itself. You were almost blind drunk – you couldn’t even find your car at first.”

He added: “A good man has lost his life. It is hard not to be moved by what his family has said about their sense of loss.

“He is an irreplaceable loss in their lives as someone who was clearly close to them, valued and cherished by all.”

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Peter Carr, of Cleveland Police said: “Malik Ameer Abbas was tragically killed as a result of James Hobson’s dangerous driving. Hobson had been speeding and his vehicle was on the wrong side of the road when he hit Mr Abbas’ vehicle head on.

“We hope that today’s sentence brings some form of comfort to Mr Abbas’ family, who have deeply felt his loss. Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.“James Hobson will now spend a significant time behind bars, having suffered serious injury himself as a result of the collision he is very lucky that he too did not lose his life.

"Unfortunately Mr Abbas’ family now have to live without their loved one for the rest of their lives as a result of Hobson’s actions.”

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