Guilty driver skipped trial for killing jogger

Rashid Ali was convicted in his absence following a trial at the Old Bailey

A motorist driving twice the speed limit who knocked down and killed a jogger did not attend his trial, it can be reported.

Rashid Ali, 30 from Slough, drove his Range Rover Sport across a junction by Battersea Bridge in London at about 40mph before striking marketing executive Jack Ryan causing him catastrophic injuries in January 2021, the Old Bailey heard.

He was convicted in his absence of causing death by dangerous driving.

Although he was granted extra time to travel from Pakistan to give evidence, Ali did not board a flight to the UK.

His defence counsel, James Scobie KC, read an email from the defendant in which he spoke of his "great stress" and offered apologies to "everyone he had let down".

"I feel very ashamed of myself and have assassinated my own character," the defendant said and added that he had promised himself he would return to Britain to face any prison sentence.

The jury had been told by Judge Judy Khan not to speculate about the reasons for Mr Ali not appearing at his two-week trial.

At the trial the jury was shown CCTV footage showing Mr Ryan, aged 29, being thrown into the air and landing in front of the vehicle on the evening of 13 January 2021.

Passers-by ran to his aid including a nurse and several trainee doctors, but Mr Ryan was pronounced dead at the scene.

Prosecutor Mr Stott said CCTV cameras had caught Ali's vehicle travelling south at a speed of between 39 and 41mph - whereas the limit was 20mph.

The weather conditions were "fair with drizzle" meaning that the road surface was wet that evening.

Mr Ryan, who was wearing dark sports clothing and trainers, was filmed by cameras on a bus waiting on the south-west side of the junction.

When the car was about 50m away from the traffic lights they had changed from green to amber and Mr Stott said that Ali had time to stop before reaching the junction.

Ali claimed Mr Ryan had run across the road in front of his car leaving him no time to apply the brakes, the court heard.

Ali, of Beresford Road, Slough, is due to be sentenced on 13 September.