A driver has today (Fri 4 Aug) been jailed for killing a grandfather in a road rage attack in Oldbury, two weeks before Christmas.
Arslan Farooq’s victim Simon West, died four days after being fatally punched just after 5.30pm, on 10 December last year.
Farooq, aged 25, had confronted 51-year-old Mr West on in A4123 Wolverhampton Road, after forcing him to pull over.
Witness statements showed that Farooq punched Mr West once, sending him to floor, before getting back in his Vauxhall Astra and driving away.
Mr West was taken to hospital with serious head injuries and officers traced Farooq, who claimed in police interview on December 11, that he had been ‘cut-up’ by Mr West.
But CCTV retrieved by investigators showed that Farooq was behind Mr West’s black Peugeot van as they went through traffic lights at the junction of Pool Road and Causeway Green Road.
Both vehicles then turned right onto Wolverhampton Road, a dual carriageway, and Farooq overtook Mr West, but slowed as he went past, so both cars were travelling alongside each other.
The court heard Farooq then swerved aggressively into the inside lane just ahead of Mr West, before quickly pulling back into the outside lane.
He then moved back into the inside lane and as Mr West moved to go past in the outside lane, Farooq pulled out across in front of him, forcing him to stop.
After the attack, despite the best efforts of medics, Mr West died in hospital on 14 December. A post mortem showed he’d died from a traumatic head injury.
His family have previously paid tribute to him, saying: “Simon was a loving and caring father, brother, son, partner and recently grandfather. He was loved by everybody he met and will be deeply missed”
Farooq was arrested again on December 15, and on 19 May, appearing at Birmingham Crown Court, he admitted manslaughter and dangerous driving.
Today Farooq, of Gipsey Lane, Birmingham, was jailed for a total of eight years and three months. He was also banned from driving for 12 months after release.
Det Insp Ranj Sangha, from WMP Homicide Team said: “Actions like these have no place on our roads and it is truly tragic that such an incident resulted in a man’s life being lost.
“But we have been able to establish exactly what happened and bring the person responsible for such a devastating consequences before the courts.
“We can only hope that with this jailing, Mr West’s family can find some peace.”