Two Indian-origin men have been sentenced to a combined total of 28 years in prison at Leeds Crown Court for causing the deaths of a woman and her four-year-old daughter during an illegal high-speed street race in northern England.
The court sentenced 29-year-old Hardeep Bhachu to 12 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving. Co-defendant Jasskamal Riyat, 37, was found guilty of two counts of the same offence following a trial and received a 16-year sentence.
Both men were also handed six-year driving bans.
The fatal crash occurred on Scott Hall Road in Jan 2023 when Justyna Hulboj, 27, and her daughter, Lena Czepczor, were walking to school. According to prosecutors, the two drivers, who were strangers, pulled up alongside each other at a red light in their sports cars—a BMW M135i driven by Riyat and an Audi TT RS driven by Bhachu—and agreed to race.
Footage revealed that Bhachu reached speeds close to 90 mph in a 40 mph zone before losing control near a dealership, mounting the pavement, and striking the mother and child. Both victims died at the scene.
Admonishing the pair, Judge Ray Singh remarked, “A road is not a race track. A powerful car is not an invitation to test its limits on a public road.” Detective Inspector Paul Conroy of West Yorkshire Police expressed hopes that the long-awaited sentencing brings a measure of justice to the grieving family.
