Van driver jailed after killing London student

A man has been jailed for eight years after crashing a van into gates near a London university campus and killing a student.

Christopher Jackson, 27, from Southampton, previously admitted causing Aalia Mahomed's death by dangerous driving on 18 March last year.

The Old Bailey was told the 20-year-old student - who was in her second year of a physics and philosophy degree - had been sitting on a bench close to King's College London's (KCL) campus in the Strand.

The court heard Jackson was tasked with picking up a van from Bush House, in Aldwych, but he had never driven an electric vehicle before.

His van collided with gates near the campus in The Strand, mounted a flower bed, becoming briefly airborne, before hitting Ms Mahomed who was sitting on a bench.

It then came to a stop close to the wall of St Mary-Le-Strand church. The Old Bailey heard that the incident lasted about six seconds.

During sentencing, Judge Philip Katz KC, said Jackson had "no experience of driving vans, let alone electric vans", adding there was a "significant level of irresponsibility in this case".

"It is accepted that you were pressing or pumping on the accelerator, thinking it was the brake," he explained.

Jackson previously pleaded guilty to two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving after two other KCL students, Irem Yoldas and Yamin Belmessous - both in their 20s - suffered life-changing injuries after being hit by the gate.

Samira Shafi, Aalia's mother, said in a statement: "When you lose a child, you don't just lose a presence of someone in your life, you lose a part of yourself.

"Our beautiful Aalia had her whole life ahead of her, cut so short at the age of 20 with no warning and no goodbyes... the loss on the wider family is also immense."

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Jessica Clarke, defending, told the court at an earlier hearing that the case did not involve "excessive speed, alcohol and drugs" but was a "tragic accident".

But during sentencing remarks on Friday, the judge disagreed with that assessment.

Judge Katz KC, comparing a driver who might rent a hire car, said: "In my judgement, any careful and competent driver will satisfy themselves that they can drive the car safely before they set off."

The Metropolitan Police said forensic investigators determined the van had no mechanical defects and one of the main causes of the crash was "unintended acceleration, made worse by Jackson's panic".

Jackson was seen slumped forward and offered "no comment" when interviewed by officers about the crash. But the judge said he accepted his "remorse was immediate and genuine".

Jackson was also sentenced to three years each for the two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, which will run concurrently.

He was told he would serve two-thirds of his sentence before being released on licence. He has been disqualified from driving and will need to pass a retest before returning behind the wheel.

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