Man's 'catastrophic' overtake killed scooter rider

A driver who killed a scooter rider in a head-on crash has been jailed for four years and 10 months.

Mustafaa Hussain, 27, was trying to overtake other vehicles in his Audi A4 when he pulled out and hit oncoming 42-year-old Mark Coleman in Middlesbrough in November 2023, Teesside Crown Court.

He died in hospital three days after the crash and his family said their lives had been "shattered into a million pieces".

Hussain, of Finchlay Court in Middlesbrough, admitted causing death by dangerous driving.

Judge Jonathan Carroll said Hussain made a "catastrophically bad and wrong" decision to overtake while moving in a queue of traffic travelling at the speed limit on the 30mph Riverside Park Road on 23 November 2023.

The "ill-judged and stupid" manoeuvre lasted about three and half seconds and would have gained Hussain "almost nothing" even if he had completed it successfully, but it had instead "taken" Coleman's life, the judge said.

He died at James Cook University Hospital on 26 November with his cause of death given as blunt force head trauma, the court heard.

In a statement read to the court, his parents said their son "wasn't perfect" but the "happy go lucky lad" had a "heart of gold".

They said their whole family had been "destroyed and broken" by the death of the "always smiling" father-of-two.

Hussain had "robbed" their son of his life by being "careless and impatient", the court heard, and Coleman's family said they hoped the driver would wake up every day regretting his actions and feeling pain for destroying their family.

Coleman's wife said their lives had been "shattered into a million pieces" and would "never be the same again".

She said she now dreaded growing old without her life partner by her side and the couple's children and future grandchildren had had opportunities to enjoy life stolen.

"We have been robbed of the love, laughter and protection he brought to our lives," she said.

In mitigation, the court heard Hussain was devastated about causing Coleman's death and the remorse and shame he felt would stay with him for the rest of his life.

Judge Carroll said it was an "absolute and total tragedy", the pain of which was made "so much worse" as it was "avoidable".

He said the "decent" family man had done nothing wrong and was simply travelling home.

The judge said Coleman and his family "had everything to live for" but their futures had been taken away from them through no fault of their own.

Hussain was also banned from driving for seven years and five months and would have to pass an extended test before being able to drive again.

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