Man accused of causing death of eight-year-old boy by dangerous driving goes on trial

An eight-year-old boy was killed by a driver going more than twice the speed limit while allegedly racing his friend in another car, a trial heard.

Safiullah Latif Asif was struck by a BMW in a residential street in Ashton while he played outside with another child.

The little boy, who the court heard was playing tig when the collision took place, suffered traumatic injuries following the crash on July 23, 2020, and died two days later in Manchester Children’s Hospital.

Kevin Jones, 36, of Ashton New Road, Beswick, who was driving the BMW which hit Safiullah while allegedly chasing his friend Thomas McGrath’s car, admitted to death by dangerous driving at a previous hearing, the jury was told.

Co-defendant McGrath, 24, of Reddish, Stockport, who was driving the other car in the incident, denies dangerous driving and causing death by dangerous driving.

Prosecutor Neil Fryman told Bolton Crown Court McGrath was driving at ‘a high speed’ – estimated to be around 45mph in a 20mph zone – and ‘encouraged and allowed Jones’ to drive dangerously.

Mr Fryman said of the CCTV showing the incident: “The car behind is very close to the car in front at all material times.

“It is the defendant’s colleague Mr Jones’ car that hits the little boy at a very high speed in a residential area where there was a 20mph limit.

“It was the crown’s position that… the defendant in the front car by chance misses the boy and the next car along hits [Safiullah].

“The way in which [McGrath] drove influenced the car behind to drive in a similar way.

"Mr Jones in the car behind is chasing the defendant.”

Video footage of the Ryecroft Street crash, which sent the boy ‘flying through the air’, was shown to the jury.

McGrath denied racing his colleague from Debt Resolve during his police interview.

He said: “I wasn’t racing with him in any way shape or form.”

He also claimed not to know how far behind Jones was on the road or the speed limit on Ryecroft Street, despite admitting to driving along it for work each day for a month.

The trial continues.

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