'Callous' driver jailed for toddler's crash death

A driver has been jailed for more than 15 years for a hit-and-run crash that killed a toddler in the West Midlands.

Sharjeel Shahzad, 30, was driving a stolen Porsche Cayenne in Smethwick in December when he hit a Toyota Auris, seriously injuring four passengers and killing two-year-old Shehbaz Singh.

Police said Shehbaz's mother remained unconscious in hospital, seven months on, unaware of her son's death.

During sentencing at Wolverhampton Crown Court, Judge Jonathan Gosling described Shahzad as "not only a dangerous man but callous and cowardly".

The Toyota was being driven by Baljeet Singh, who had been out celebrating a family birthday with his wife and friends.

Also in the car were Amritpal Singh, Kushpreet Kaur and their two-year-old son Shehbaz.

The two-year-old, who was unrestrained in the back, was pronounced dead at Birmingham Children's Hospital, despite efforts to save him.

At the time of the crash on 11 December, Shahzad, from Great Barr, Sandwell, was awaiting a court date for a separate charge of dangerous driving.

The judge heard he had led police on 30-mile (48km) pursuit in a stolen Audi on 10 June 2024, reaching speeds of almost 150mph as he tried to evade officers.

He was only stopped when police rammed the Audi and he tried to flee the scene but was caught.

A day earlier he had been arrested for a similar incident although the case was dropped.

In October, he was banned from driving for six months, despite only having a provisional driving licence, for driving without due care and attention.

Despite that, he was again back behind the wheel of a stolen car in December, using false number plates.

Det Sgt Paul Hughes, from West Midlands Police, said Shahzad did not care about the family in the Toyota after he caused the head-on crash on Dartmouth Road.

"Within a second he's out of that car and he doesn't hesitate to run away from the scene. He doesn't look back, he doesn't stop... he just runs," he said.

Det Sgt Hughes said Shahzad was aware he was driving a stolen vehicle and had chosen to overtake a car before a bend, driving on the wrong side of the road at the time of the crash and doing 48mph in a 30mph zone.

He added that the family were still trying to care for Shehbaz's mother while mourning the toddler's death, but hoped the sentence would be of some comfort.

Jailing Shahzad for 15 years and four months, His Honour Judge Gosling said the impact of the fatal collision was "catastrophic".

He said: "You destroyed the lives of Amritpal Singh and Kushpreet Kaur and devastated their family and friends. You killed that little boy."

The judge said Shahzad's "true character is revealed" by the fact he fled after the fatal collision with no regard for the hurt he had caused.

Shahzad previously pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving in relation to the incident.

He also admitted driving without a licence or insurance and failing to stop after a crash.

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