Nelson hit-and-run victim killed for ‘adrenaline rush’, court told

A woman was hit by a car and left for dead on the road because her killer “wanted to drive fast for fun”, a court has heard.

Safia Karieem, 51, was crossing Manchester Road in Nelson, Lancashire, on 15 December 2024 when she was struck by a car going about 60mph (96 km/h) in a 30mph ((58 km/h) zone.

The driver, Abu Bakr Mahmood, 20, earlier pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and was sentenced at Preston Crown Court to 12 years and six months in a detention facility for young offenders.

In her victim impact statement, Ms Karieem’s daughter said her mum, who was a care worker, was killed for “an adrenaline rush”.

She said: “I lose my mum every single day, sometimes multiple times a day, in the urge to call her… in stories I want to tell her.”

Pointing at the dock where Mahmood was sitting, the 26-year-old added: “She doesn’t respond because he’s killed her, that’s why she doesn’t respond.”

Mahmood, who the court heard had never held a driving licence and earlier pleaded guilty to additional driving offences has been banned for driving for 18 years.

The court heard mother-of-two Ms Karieem was crossing the road at about 20:20 GMT to return to her car after visiting a patient when she was struck at speed, with CCTV footage played to the court showing she checked for cars before stepping out onto the road.

The court was also played phone video footage recorded from inside Mahmood’s car shortly before the collision, in which the needles on the speedometer and rev meters were seen pointing towards the top, and loud music was being played.

Prosecutor Joe Allman KC told the court: “The vehicle was described as flying, there was a massive thud and glass everywhere.”

He said Mahmood had said: “We’ve just hit someone I need to get off.”

Mahmood then drove another mile before running from the car and was heard shouting “I wasn’t driving”, he said.

Another driver who saw Ms Karieem in the middle of the road stopped and called the police, the court heard.

While reading her victim impact statement, Ms Karieem’s daughter said to Mahmood: “How dare you hit my mum, you left her on the road and then you drove away with a shattered windscreen.”

She told him: “The least you can do is make eye contact with me after killing my mum”, at which point he raised his head and looked at her.

She also read a statement to the court from her 13-year-old sister.

“I still remember the last thing she said – ‘I’m going, I’ll be back soon’.

“She never came back because someone wanted to drive fast for fun,” the statement said.

In describing how her mum used to hold her hand while crossing the road, she added: “This time I wasn’t there to hold her hand.

“Now she won’t be there to smile at me while I graduate.”

Defence Barrister Philip Holden KC, for Mahmood, told the court his client had “low maturity” but had accepted “the danger to road users of anybody driving at twice the speed limit”.

But he said “there are yet more egregious examples of dangerous driving that the courts come across”.

On sentencing, Judge Graham Knowles KC said: “I take the view that any remorse [from Mahmood] is very limited and of very late onset.”

“Safia Kareem was a loving mother and carer, you were callous and wholly self centred,” Judge Knowles added.

Mahmood will be eligible for release after serving eight years and four months of his sentence.