Van driver was checking emails before fatal crash

Qabir Hussain was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving

A van driver who ran over and killed an 85-year-old man after he had been checking emails on his mobile phone has been jailed.

Qabir Hussain, 54, had been using the device just moments before he hit David Brooke as he crossed Barnsley Road in Wakefield in January 2022, West Yorkshire Police said.

Hussain was sentenced to five years in prison after he was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving following a trial at Leeds Crown Court.

In a statement, Mr Brooke's granddaughter said: "The day you took him away from me and my family will live with me forever."

She added: "You took the kindest, funniest, most loving man, everyone loved him.

"He enjoyed life and his family - most of all his wife, my grandma; you have broken her.

"I miss his voice and hearing his stories, his smile and the way he said he loved me.

"All I have now is memories of my grandad."

Police said following Hussain's arrest analysis of his phone showed it had been unlocked during his journey and he had used it to access his emails and web browser.

Det Sgt Nina Roper said the case highlighted the "heart-breaking consequences" of a lapse of concentration at the wheel.

"No email, message, phone call or notification is more important than somebody else's life," she said,

"If you are tempted to reach for your phone whilst driving, please think of David and his family."

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