Motorist who killed pedestrian while driving at 92mph jailed for 10 years

A motorist who killed a pedestrian and seriously injured his passenger after driving at almost 100mph on a north London road has been jailed for more than 10 years.

Ali Xhaferri, 43, lost control of his BMW on the A406 North Circular Road at Stonebridge on March 11 2022 and struck Ahmed Moneer, 37, a pedestrian walking along the pavement.

Mr Moneer was thrown into the front room of a nearby residential property in front of a shocked family, the Old Bailey heard.

He died instantly.

The defendant’s front seat passenger, Dexter Charles, 53, was seriously injured in the collision.

Prosecutor Amy Nicholson told the court Xhaferri was driving between 70 and 92mph when the incident happened. This stretch of the A406 has a 40mph speed limit and conditions were wet.

The defendant lost control of his vehicle as he entered a left-hand bend and smashed through a wall of a nearby property, the court heard.

The seven occupants were at home at the time of the collision.

Ms Nicholson said: “Gliece Rodrigues Pires heard a very loud bang, turned and saw that the wall between the front bedroom and the living room was moving.

“There was a lot of smoke and gas and dust. The defendant’s vehicle was in the front bedroom. A wall was gone.

“The defendant could be seen in the driver’s seat moving his hands as if trying to get an airbag from his face. Leila (occupant) discovered Mr Moneer’s body and went into shock.

“Gliece saw him and also went into shock. She shouted for someone to call the police and the family began to evacuate due to a strong smell of gas and fear there would be an explosion and/or the house would collapse.”

The collision had destroyed Gliece Rodrigues Peres’ vehicle, and seriously damaged a van and another vehicle which had been parked at the front of the house.

Paramedics were called to the scene, but Mr Moneer was pronounced dead from extensive traumatic injuries.

Dexter Charles suffered catastrophic injuries and has long-term neurological damage, the court heard.

Police officers at the scene said they smelt alcohol on Xhaferri, who told them: “I’ve had a few drinks.”

In the ambulance he told a paramedic he’d had three shots of brandy before telling police at hospital he’d had “two small shots”.

However, blood analysis found the defendant would have been under the legal limit for alcohol at the time of the incident.

Xhaferri was arrested on March 12 on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

He initially told police another car had caused the accident, the court heard.

A forensic collision investigative report concluded Xhaferri’s vehicle would not have been able to travel around the bend at the speed it was travelling, whatever the conditions.

The defendant has previous convictions which include dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, failing to stop to provide a specimen, failing to stop, no insurance and no licence.

Prosecutors said the family of the deceased were too traumatised to prepare a victim impact statement to the court.

Judge Anthony Leonard KC sentenced Ali Xhaferri to 10 years and six months for causing death by dangerous driving and three years and three months for causing serious injury, to be served at the same time.

Xhaferri was also disqualified from driving for a total period of 12 years and 11 months.