Drivers Jailed for Deaths of Mother and Daughter in Leeds Crash

Two men have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a fatal crash that killed a mother and her young daughter as they walked to a nursery in Leeds. Hardeep Bhachu, 29, was jailed for 12 years, and Jasskamal Riyat, 37, received a 16-year sentence.

The incident occurred on January 16, 2023, when Justyna Hulboj, 27, and her daughter Lena Czepczor were struck by an Audi TT RS. The court heard that Bhachu and Riyat, who did not know each other previously, accelerated from traffic lights on Scott Hall Road. Prosecutors stated that Riyat's BMW reached speeds up to 89 mph in a 40 mph zone before Bhachu lost control of his Audi, mounting the pavement and hitting the victims.

Judge Singh described the road as "not a race track" and emphasized the immeasurable consequences and immense impact of the deaths on those left behind. The judge told the defendants that their actions led to irreversible outcomes, stating, "A powerful car is not an invitation to test its limits on a public road." The victims, he noted, "had done nothing wrong" and were "simply walking to school."

Bhachu pleaded guilty to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving. Riyat was convicted by a jury after denying he had been racing Bhachu. Defense counsel for Bhachu described him as a "normal person who's made a massive mistake" and acknowledged he would have to live with the devastation he caused.

In a statement read in court, Hulboj's fiancé, Dominik Czepczor, described the profound loss: "My whole world collapsed in one second. Every day I feel a huge void after their departure. We had so many hopes and dreams and in one moment it all ended." He expressed that his dream of a wonderful family was taken away, leaving only memories and a difficult fight for each new day.

Detective Inspector Paul Conroy of West Yorkshire Police's Major Collision Enquiry Team acknowledged that no sentence could compensate for the lives lost. He stated that the sentencing marked the end of a long criminal justice process for the family, noting the wait for justice had taken its toll over the two years since Bhachu admitted his part in the incident. His thoughts, he said, were with the family.