Redditch woman jailed for not giving phone password to police

The sister of a speeding driver who killed a woman in a crash is thought to be the first person in the West Mercia Police area to be jailed for refusing to reveal her phone password to officers, the force has said.

At Worcester Crown Court, Sanaa Shahzad, 20, of Farndon Close in Redditch, was sentenced for her actions during a police probe into the death of Valerie Ayres, 65.

Her brother Khizer Ali, 24, of the same address, had been driving on the wrong side of the road when the crash happened in April 2024.

Shahzad “deliberately obstructed” the inquiry by “refusing us the password to her phone”, police said after her three-month term for failure to disclose the key to protected information.

The three months are to run concurrently to Shahzad’s 12-month sentence for dangerous driving – an offence unrelated to the fatal Redditch crash but recorded on the same day.

She was also banned from driving for three years and six months, and ordered to take an extended retest.

In May, Ali was jailed for 11 years and three months for causing death by dangerous driving.

Ms Ayres was killed instantly and her husband, 70, suffered life-changing injuries in the crash.

Det Con Rose Hughes said following Friday’s sentencing: “We are pleased to get this sentence for Shahzad who bears some of the responsibility for the outcome of a tragedy where a woman was killed and her husband was caused life-changing injuries too.

“Shahzad deliberately obstructed our investigation into the fatal crash by refusing us the password to her phone and I am glad this has been recognised by the court with a custodial term.”