Driver who crashed into house and killed man jailed

Ali Xhaferri was sentenced at the Old Bailey for causing death by dangerous driving

A driver who lost control of his BMW, crashing into a house and killing a pedestrian, has been given a 10-and-a-half-year jail sentence.

Ali Xhaferri, 43, was driving at a speed of up to 92mph (144km/h) on a 40mph limit stretch of the A406 at Stonebridge in north London when he hit Ahmed Moneer, 37, on 11 March 2022.

Mr Moneer, who was walking on the pavement, was thrown into the front room of a house in front of a shocked family, dying instantly, the Old Bailey heard.

The defendant's front-seat passenger, Dexter Charles, 53, was also seriously injured in the crash.

'A wall was gone'

Prosecutor Amy Nicholson said Xhaferri lost control of his vehicle as he entered a left-hand bend.

She said a person living in the house "heard a very loud bang, turned and saw that the wall between the front bedroom and the living room was moving".

"There was a lot of smoke and gas and dust," she said.

"The defendant's vehicle was in the front bedroom. A wall was gone.

"The defendant could be seen in the driver's seat moving his hands as if trying to get an airbag from his face."

Previous convictions

The court heard one of the people in the property discovered Mr Moneer's body and went into shock.

Xhaferri, of Chester Road in Highgate, was arrested the following day. He initially told police another driver had caused the accident.

His passenger Mr Charles suffered catastrophic injuries and has long-term neurological damage, the court heard.

A statement was read in court on behalf of Norman de Sousa, Mr Charles's uncle, who described the "heart-breaking experience" of visiting his relative. He said what had happened was a "stark reminder of the fragility of life" which demonstrated the consequences of "reckless behaviour".

The court heard Xhaferri previous convictions, including for dangerous driving and driving while disqualified. Judge Anthony Leonard KC also disqualified from driving, for 12 years and 11 months.