A postman on cannabis avoided jail after he caused the death of a couple when he ignored road signs that he was coming to a dead-end and crashed into a concrete wall.
Passengers Kyle Khan, 26, and his wife Meesha Afzal, 22, died instantly when Eidnun Liaquat, 28, ploughed his Mercedes A200 into a wall near the M42 in Solihull, at 1.50am on December 13, 2020.
The postman from Northfield, Birmingham, previously admitted two charges of causing death by careless driving and was sentenced to 18 months suspended for two years. He was also banned from driving for three years and ordered to pay £1,500 costs.
Kyle, a courier, and Meesha, a carer, were both wearing seat belts but suffered ‘catastrophic’ injuries.
Paul Spratt, prosecuting at Birmingham Crown Court, said the victims ‘were in the prime of their young lives’.
Passengers Kyle Khan, 26, and his wife Meesha Afzal, 22, died instantly when Eidnun Liaquat, 28, (pictured outside Birmingham Magistrates Court last year) ploughed his Mercedes A200 into a wall
Kyle, a courier, and Meesha, a carer, were both wearing seat belts but suffered ‘catastrophic’ injuries and died instantly
The scene of the road accident on Warwick Road in Solihull was clearly marked as a dead end (pictured)
He said: ‘They had hopes and aspirations which, sadly, will be unfulfilled.’
Liaquat broke his left hip and injured his chest in the crash, while a third passenger was also taken to hospital with serious injuries.
The accident happened after the couple and Liaquat spent the evening together in Solihull.
About 20 minutes earlier a police officer saw him driving the Mercedes at more than the 30mph speed limit.
Mr Spratt said: ‘Alcohol had been consumed and that might be the reason why Liaquat was driving.’
‘Quite how they ended up in that side road is not clear. The road was plainly a dead end.
‘Had Liaquat observed signs that were available to him from the roundabout he would have known that.
‘The road goes from a dual carriageway to a single track road. There is a solid concrete wall at the end.’
He said the defendant had taken some cannabis but was below the legal limit.
Paul Spratt, prosecuting at Birmingham Crown Court, said the victims ‘were in the prime of their young lives’
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After the crash, Kyle’s 19-year-old sister Aleah (left) said: ‘I hope they rest in peace my baby angels’
She added that her brother Kyle and his wife Meesha had meant the ‘whole world to her’
Mr Spratt said a witness estimated that Liaquat was driving at between 30 and 40mph before the crash.
The prosecutor added: ‘There is no sign of braking as he approached the part of the road he should not have been on.’
After the crash, Kyle’s 19-year-old sister Aleah said: ‘I lost my whole world.’
She told Birmingham Live: ‘They work very hard in the day so the only time they have is at night.
‘They always like to go towards Solihull as it has lovely scenery and they know the area like the back of their hands.
‘I hope they rest in peace my baby angels.’
As he passed the sentence, Judge Simon Drew KC said: ‘Ultimately this is a tragic case in which two young people lost their lives.’
He said what happened was at night and in wet conditions.
He added: ‘You were driving down a road which was a dead-end. There were signs which clearly said so.
‘Any careful and considerate driver would have seen these. The failure to realise that you were driving down a dead-end was a serious failure on your part and you were driving at speed.’
The judge said Liaquat was driving a car with three passengers and went on: ‘That increased the care that you needed to take, their lives were in your hands, literally.’
However, he said: ‘You are a man of positive good character and Kyle Khan was your best friend and Meesha was his wife.
‘I accept that the impact upon you has been grave and your expressions of remorse are genuine and sincere.’
Graham Henson, defending, said: ‘Kyle Khan was his best friend. They were almost like brothers. The effect on the families of Kyle Khan and Meesha Afzal has been devastating and the effect on Liaquat has also been devastating..’
He said the defendant worked as a postman, did not have a great recollection of the accident and believed that he had braked.
