Judge’s one-word verdict as driver spared jail after man left blind in one eye

The victim said he has given up photography and cannot work full time

A driver has avoided immediate custody after his car hit a pedestrian on a zebra crossing in Leeds, leaving the man permanently blind in one eye.

Anas Mamoor, 25, of Gathorne Terrace, Chapeltown, admitted causing serious injury by careless driving. At Leeds Crown Court, he was given a 23-week prison sentence, suspended for two years.

The court heard the victim was walking to a night shift on Kirkstall Lane, near the junction with Langdale Avenue, at about 11pm on February 17, 2023.

Prosecutor Lydia Carroll said he was about “90 per cent across” the crossing when Mamoor’s Vauxhall Corsa hit him and threw him “some distance”.

She said Mamoor braked only at the point of impact, or just before, but was not found to have been speeding. He stopped at the scene and later passed drug, breath and eye tests.

Ms Carroll said police at the scene were told the man was likely to die, and paramedics did not expect him to reach hospital alive.

He survived but suffered “catastrophic” injuries, including multiple facial fractures and permanent damage to one eye. His other eye was also affected, he has no sense of smell and his sense of taste is reduced.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, the man said he was unlikely ever to drive again. He has given up photography and cannot work full time.

The court heard there was a “strong inference” that Mamoor had been using his phone at the time. He declined to provide the PIN to unlock it, saying he could not remember it. Judge Penelope Belcher called that explanation “pathetic”.

Mamoor said a conversation with his passenger had distracted him. In the absence of phone evidence, the Crown accepted this account.

Lily Wildman, mitigating, said Mamoor had admitted what he had done wrong by pleading guilty. She told the court he was out of work and not claiming benefits.

Judge Belcher told him: “That momentary lapse of concentration has had catastrophic effects. The crossing was fully illuminated, he was there to be seen.”

She added: “The impact your stupidity has had on his life is frankly appalling. You ought to be ashamed of yourself.”

The judge said she was bound by sentencing guidelines. As well as the suspended sentence, Mamoor must complete 250 hours of unpaid work and a probation requirement. He will also be subject to a three-month electronically tagged curfew from 7am to 7pm.

He was banned from driving for 12 months and must pass an extended re-test to regain his licence.

No compensation was ordered and his phone was not forfeited.