A MOTORIST who decided to make an illegal right turn to shave minutes off his homeward journey ploughed into dad-to-be on a pedestrian crossing, catapulting him through the air.

The victim sustained serious injuries, including a bleed on the brain and broken bones and he was detained in hospital for a month.

The driver, businessman Taysir Abdullah, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving and was put behind bars for 26 months.

The 37-year-old, of Stevenson Crescent, Newtown, St Helens, was also banned from driving for three years.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that the incident happened at about 10.30 pm on March 22 last year on King Street as the victim, Keiran Haddock and his teenage step-son were on their way to eat after playing snooker.

Dangerous manoeuvre

The defendant, who had just finished work, drove along the service road and ignored the clear signs to turn left at the end and instead turned right and struck Mr Haddock, a chef, and just missed his step-son, said Paul Blasbery, prosecuting.

The victim recalled he crossed the first carriageway at the pedestrian crossing safely but did not recall the collision on the second carriageway. His step-son, who thought his step-father had pushed him out of the way, saw him being somersaulted over the car.

He ran over to Mr Haddock, who lay on the ground groaning, but got no response and he asked a passer-by to call the police.

Abdullah stopped at the scene and told the boy, “it’s going to be OK”.

The victim was taken to hospital where it was found that as well as a bleed on the brain, leading to loss of memory and speech, he had fractures to his pelvis, vertebrae and left ankle.

In an impact statement, he told how he had been unable to go upstairs for a month after his release and unable to help his pregnant wife.

He was off work as a chef for three months and has had to change employers and work less hours because of pain and had been affected financially.

The couple now have an eight-month-old baby and he had started taking driving lessons but has been told his injuries might impact on his ability to get a licence.

When interviewed Abdallah admitted contravening the signs to turn left and said he had not seen the pedestrians because it was dark and the lights were on green for him.

'You could have killed him'

Sentencing Abdallah, the judge, Recorder Michael Duck, KC, said he had “performed an obviously dangerous manoeuvre and you did not proceed with caution.”

He added: “You could very easily have killed him that night.”

Jason Smith, defending, said that the defendant has no previous convictions and had stayed at the scene and pleaded guilty.

The incident was “an aberration” and he made the manoeuvre as he thought the road was clear and it would make his journey home shorter.

He has worked hard since arriving from Syria and helps charitable organisations working with refugees and is respected in his community.

“Throughout the proceedings he has expressed genuine remorse.” added Mr Smith.