Hit-and-run driver jailed for killing unborn baby boy in Bamber Bridge as mum says 'I will never get him back'
A mother has spoken of the devastating impact on her life after her unborn baby was killed in a high-speed hit-and-run in Bamber Bridge.
Renju Joseph, 31, was five months pregnant when she was struck at high speed by Ashir Shahid, 20, as she walked on a pedestrian crossing in Station Road on the evening of September 29.
Preston Crown Court heard the Toyota Prius was travelling at between 58mph and 71mph in wet conditions in a 30mph zone.
Mrs Joseph, a healthcare assistant, was walking slightly behind two colleagues at about 7.50pm as they headed to a night shift when Shahid’s car swerved past the first two pedestrians and hit her.
She was “thrown into the air for quite some distance” before tumbling and rolling into the car.
She suffered serious head and spinal injuries and was rushed to hospital, where doctors discovered her unborn son’s life was in severe jeopardy.
Prosecutor Emma Keogh said: “An emergency C-section had to be carried out in an attempt to save the unborn child’s life. The placenta had ruptured and Mrs Joseph had bled quite heavily.
“Her child was born that evening but sadly he only survived for a few hours before passing away.
“This was her very first pregnancy with her husband who she married about five years earlier. This was a planned pregnancy and very much wanted.”
Mrs Joseph also continues to live with life-changing injuries, including ongoing mobility issues.
In a victim personal statement, Mrs Joseph said: “Everything has changed for me now. Everything has been ruined by that one night and the callous and reckless actions of those two people in that car.
“My life will never by the same again. I will never get to meet my baby, be a mummy to him or watch him grow up.
“They have taken my first child away from me and I will never get him back.”
She added: “I don’t know how I will ever move on from the events of that night.
“I will always be reminded of what happened by the fact that my child is not here anymore and he should be.
“I have physical scars, but the emotional scars are the worst. There is not a day I do not think about my baby boy.”
Footage from Shahid’s front-seat passenger’s mobile phone showed the pair laughing and singing to music while the car was driven erratically and at speed.
At times, the passenger had his feet out of the window while Shahid removed both hands from the wheel.
Minutes after the collision, the Toyota was abandoned in nearby Lostock Hall.
It was later moved onto a flatbed truck and taken to Farnworth, Greater Manchester, where police found it days later.
Shahid was arrested at an address in Kirkham after he had spent several days lying low at a friend’s house in Accrington.
He made no comment when interviewed but when his phone was examined it revealed that on the night of the collision he made an online search for “charge for hit and run human”.
A video clip on his Snapchat account showed him singing along to the Shaggy song “It Wasn’t Me” and laughing.
Shahid, of Windsor Road, Walton le Dale, Preston, pleaded guilty in June to causing the death of Mrs Joseph’s baby Olive by dangerous driving.
He also admitted causing serious injury to Mrs Joseph by dangerous driving.
Shahid was sentenced at Preston Crown Court today to 13 years’ detention for causing death by dangerous driving and three years for causing serious injury, to be served concurrently.
He must serve a minimum of two-thirds of the sentence before release.
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Shahid was also disqualified from driving for 15 years and one month, meaning around seven years after his release before he can drive again.
A 17-year-old boy, from Walton le Dale, also pleaded guilty to assisting an offender.
Before today he couldn’t be named for legal reasons, but these restrictions were lifted at the sentencing hearing by Judge Ian Unsworth .
Sam Shahid, also of Windsor Road, was sentenced to three years detention.
Det Chief Insp Andy Fallows, of Lancashire Police’s Force Major Investigation Team, said: “My thoughts first and foremost are with Renju and her family. They have been through the most appalling ordeal and have shown incredible dignity and courage throughout.
“In contrast, Ashir Shahid and his co-defendant have shown nothing but arrogance and a lack of remorse.
“Not only did they fail to stop after the collision, they did all they could to try and escape detection.
“ Shahid’s driving was appalling, with a complete disregard for pedestrians and other road users.
“His dangerous actions have very sadly cost the life of a little boy and left his mother with serious, life-changing injuries.”
He added: “I hope that today’s sentences will give them time to reflect on the devastating impact of what they have done, and give others pause before driving recklessly.
“I would also like to thank officers, staff, the Crown Prosecution Service and colleagues from Greater Manchester Police for their work in securing these convictions and sentences. Finally, my sympathies and best wishes remain with Renju and her family.”