Sheffield United striker jailed over crash
Sheffield United's Jordon Robertson jailed for 32 months after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving
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By Matt Hallam. |  |
Friday, 02, Oct 2009 03:50
By Michael Younger.
Sheffield United striker Jordon Robertson has been jailed for 32 months after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.
The 21-year-old crashed his Mercedes 180 CLC sports car, at speeds of up to 125mph, into the Ford Galaxy being driven by father-of-five Omar Mohamed on the M1 in Leicestershire on Christmas Day.
Mr Mohamed, 38, from Leicester, died in hospital the following day.
The striker, who was on loan to Southampton at the time of the crash, told police he had been trying to change songs on his iPod when the crash happened.
Taxi driver Mr Mohamed was also a keen sportsman who had had attended the Olympic Games in China to represent the Somali Basketball Federation and was a coach and former captain of their national team.
During sentencing at Leicester crown court, the Sheffield-born striker was jailed for two years and eight months along with being handed a five-year driving ban.
Alan Murphy, prosecuting, said the high-speed crash was captured on CCTV and he was calculated to be travelling at between 122 and 124mph. Mr Mohamed was doing between 67 and 71mph.
It has been reported that accident investigators calculated the defendant would have had a 550m clear view of Mr Mohamed's car, giving him ten seconds to react.
Mr Murphy said: "The defendant's failure to notice the car is indicative of a significant lack of concentration."
Passing sentence yesterday, Judge David Price told Robertson: "Whatever sentence I impose it cannot compensate Omar Mohamed's family for his loss. I accept you're full of remorse and that you did what you could on the day to help."
In mitigation, David Webster said: "His thoughts today, by a bitter twist of fate, are for a fellow sportsman whose life, with acknowledged criminal culpability, he has ended.
"Prayers have been said by him and his extended family and thoughts extended to Mr Omar Mohamed's wife and family.
"You're not dealing with a Flash Harry footballer who spends his time on illicit drugs, boozing, women or at the dog track. The car was one of his few extravagances. He'd had it for four months.
"It's his earnest hope that one day Mrs Mohamed and her five children may one day be able to forgive him.
"He accepts his driving was dangerous and says through me it's quite appalling and inexplicable."
Robertson joined Sheffield United as a trainee but has spent much of his career on loan to other clubs including Torquay United, Northampton Town, Oldham Athletic and Bury.
A spokesman for Sheffield United said the club's thoughts were with the victim's family, but it was "too early to say anything else".