Hayadulla Turkmani has been jailed for five years for causing Michael Ashton's death by dangerous driving. Basildon Crown Court passed sentence on 21 October. Turkmani, 53, of Langdale Gardens in Hornchurch, was cleared of murder and manslaughter. He will serve half the term in custody, less time already spent on remand, and the rest on licence. He is banned from driving for seven and a half years. Uber driver handed jail term over Langdon Hills passenger death
Ashton, 28, was run over outside his home in Rosecroft Close, Langdon Hills, on 26 September 2025, after he was sick in the car on the way back from Hornchurch. He died from a brain injury on 4 October 2025.
What the judge told him
Judge Samantha Cohen sentenced him on the jury's finding that he did not know Ashton was in front of the car. BBC News reported her remarks from the courtroom. She told him he had failed to pay adequate regard to where Ashton was, and that the driving showed a complete disregard for the danger he posed.
"You should have seen him, and you should have stopped before you hit him. I am sentencing you on the basis that you did not know he was in front of you, as per the jury's verdict. As you drove forward, you knew Michael was still in the close; you had no reason to think he'd returned home."
In statements read to the court, his mother, Jayne Ashton, spoke of the "unimaginable loss" of her son and of the family "serving a life sentence". Sophie Carroll, his partner, described a trauma that would stay with her forever.
"Living with the pain of missing Michael is unbearable."
The same hearing
The Echo reported further remarks from the hearing. Judge Cohen called Turkmani the aggressor in the row over cleaning the car after Ashton was sick. He had been unable to resist a parting shot. Ashton walked towards him. Turkmani reversed while angry and worried, then drove forward and struck him while looking over his shoulder. She accepted that he was panicked when he began to reverse.
Prosecutor Andrew Jackson KC treated Ashton's vulnerability as a pedestrian, and Turkmani's work as a taxi driver, as aggravating features. Tom Wainwright, defending, told the court Turkmani did not intend to drive again.
"The impact has stayed with him and will last beyond any prison sentence. It will be something he has to live with for the rest of his life."