Ban is reduced for death crash driver

Sharaf Ebrahimi, aged 38, caused the crash in which 27-year-old father-of-three Colin Stevenson died at the junction of Cresswell Crescent and Broad Lane, in Bloxwich, in October 2012.

Ebrahimi had started to pull out onto a main road taking his VW Bora around 3ft over the white line where it was in collision with a passing Vectra driven by Mr Stevenson.

The impact sent the Vectra veering into a head-on crash with an oncoming lorry travelling on the opposite side of the street.

Mr Stevenson, aged 27, was not wearing a seatbelt. He suffered brain injuries from which he died seven days later after it had been decided to switch off the life support machine. Both men worked at the Staffordshire base of parcel company APC in Norton Canes.

Ebrahimi admitted causing death by careless driving and was given a suspended sentence and seven-year driving ban at Wolverhampton Crown Court in January.

But the ban was yesterday cut to four years by top judges, who said it would help Ebrahimi, of Darlaston Road, Pleck, Walsall, to support his family in the years to come. Although he has since found work as a carpet fitter, Ebrahimi still had a wife and two children to provide for, said Lord Justice Treacy.

He continued: "Lack of a driving licence may inhibit his ability to find and retain work, a fact which this court should pay regard to in considering the length of disqualification. It seems to us that the appropriate range for disqualification in this case is between three and five years.

"We are thus persuaded that, whilst a significant period of disqualification was justified in this case, a period of seven years was too long."

The judge, sitting with Mr Justice Spencer and Mrs Justice Simler, heard Mr Stevenson was able to stagger away from his car after it collided with the HGV. However, he was badly injured and died in hospital a week later, leaving his mother and family distraught.

"She will now have to bring up three young children who have been deprived of their father as a result of this offence," continued the judge. "The grief of that mother and others affected by this tragic event is something that we recognise.

"However, this court is bound to sentence in accordance with established sentencing practice and our decision in no way reflects on the victim of this offence and those so grievously affected."