By Habeeb Ibrahim
A 53-year-old Uber driver in the United Kingdom, Hayadulla Turkmani, has been sentenced to five years in prison for causing the death of a passenger he ran over following an argument.
Turkmani was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving after a trial at Basildon Crown Court on Wednesday, according to the BBC.
The incident involved Michael Ashton, 28, who died eight days after sustaining a broken leg and a brain injury when the driver ran over him outside his home in Langdon Hills, Essex.
The court heard that Turkmani picked up Ashton and his partner, Sophie Carroll, in Hornchurch, east London, on September 26, 2025, after they had gone out for dinner and drinks with Ashton’s sister.
During the journey home, Ashton became sick and vomited on himself, prompting Carroll to use baby wipes to clean the vehicle.
Carroll told the court that she heard Turkmani and Ashton arguing while she was cleaning the car and asked them to stop.
The disagreement continued after the couple arrived home. As Ashton and Carroll walked towards their house, Ashton turned around, and CCTV footage played in court captured him shouting, “whoa, whoa, whoa”.
A neighbour told the court that he saw two people shouting before Turkmani accelerated towards Ashton, who was standing about four or five metres from the vehicle.
Prosecutors alleged that the driver accelerated at considerable speed, dragging Ashton underneath the car.
Ashton sustained a broken leg and a brain injury when his head struck the ground. He died from his injuries eight days later.
Turkmani, who was cleared of murder and manslaughter, told the jury that he had panicked and was frightened during the confrontation. He said he mistakenly hit Ashton while attempting to escape.
During sentencing, Judge Samantha Cohen said Turkmani had failed to pay adequate attention to Ashton’s whereabouts.
“You should have seen him, and you should have stopped before you hit him,” the judge said.
She added that Turkmani knew Ashton was still close to the vehicle and had no reason to believe he had returned home.
The judge sentenced him on the basis that he did not know Ashton was in front of the vehicle, in accordance with the jury’s verdict.
Turkmani will serve half of his five-year sentence in custody, less time already spent on remand, before being released on licence. He was also disqualified from driving for seven-and-a-half years.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, Ashton’s mother, Jayne, described his death as an unimaginable loss, saying the family was serving a life sentence because of what happened.
Carroll said the trauma of losing her partner would remain with her forever.
Essex Police said Turkmani had reacted angrily after Ashton became unwell, adding that the situation escalated into violence.
