Video evidence jails banned driver

A man whose son died in a road crash has used his own video evidence to secured a jail term for the motorist who killed him.

Geoffrey Foy filmed Hawada Ali Sharfeden behind the wheel of his car in Greater Manchester, weeks after he was banned for three years, following the death of Mr Foy's son.

On Wednesday Sharfeden was jailed for six months, for breaking the ban, which he was given after he hit Mr Foy's son, also called Geoffrey, with his car.

Twelve-year-old Geoffrey was thrown in to the air when he was hit by Sharfeden's car in Wythenshawe last summer.

Manchester City Magistrates' Court heard that following the defendant's drive ban, Mr Foy's niece spotted Sharfeden behind the wheel.

'Remember me? You killed my boy.'

Geoffrey Foy, speaking to the defendant

Mr Foy then filmed 30-year-old Sharfeden on four separate occasions before confronting him with it and said 'Remember me? You killed my boy', the court was told.

He later handed the evidence to police, which led to magistrates' praising his "commendable determination" in filming Sharfeden "contemptuously flouting the law".

District Judge Alan Berg expressed his frustration at not being able to jail him Sharfeden for longer than six months.

The judge originally sentenced Sharfeden last year after he pleaded guilty to speeding, driving without due care and attention and making a false statement.

'Respect law'

Sharfeden, formerly of Elizabeth Street, Cheetham Hill, Manchester had "paid scant regard" to the previous court order and had probably been driving routinely since the ban, the judge said.

Outside court, Mr Foy said the thought of one day seeing Sharfeden, a Libyan national, sent to prison had been the "one thing" that stopped him strangling his son's killer.

He said: "We feel like we have missed the last bus, but fortunately, another one came along and we have got there in the end.

"I would rather see him suffer in prison than giving him a beating. The law is the law and you have to respect it."

Sharfeden's current address was not read out in court.