Osama Saeed, Bradford jailed for fatal Cheshire crash

Osama Saeed, 32, of St Paul's Road, in Manningham was formally sentenced to 12 years behind bars for causing the death of his friend, Asad Rashid, 34, from Bradford, during a street race, at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court last Friday.

He also had two months added to his sentence for breaching his bail and was disqualified from driving for eight years - six of which he will be in prison for.

Asgar Taj (left) and Osama Saeed (right) were arrested at Manchester Airport (Image: Cheshire Police)

The 32-year-old must take an extended retest to get a driving licence again.

It is the same sentence that Asgar Taj, 35, of Heather Grove, Bradford received a week earlier.

Both men were arrested by police at Manchester Airport on July 8 after travelling to the UK on a flight from Abu Dhabi.

Osama Saeed (Image: Cheshire Police)

A spokesperson for Cheshire Police said they travelled to Cheshire on September 15, 2020 to take part in a race on the A34, near Wilmslow, alongside another defendant, Mohammad Zubair Chaudry, and Rashid, who was killed when disaster struck.

Chaudry was driving an Audi R8 and Saeed was in an Audi R3, while Taj and Rashid were riding Suzuki motorbikes.

Video footage obtained from a truck driver showed the group used traffic lights as a starting flag, racing off as soon as the lights changed.

All four men lined up at traffic lights before the illegal street race began (Image: Cheshire Police)

The group approached the total fitness roundabout on the A34 at 10.10pm and all four collided with the middle of it, narrowly missing innocent members of the public.

Chaudhry's Audi R8 hit first, tearing off the underside of the engine flying through the roundabout central core to end up 135 meters further down the A34.

The two motorbikes and the Audi RS3 then hit the roundabout at about the same time.

Taj and Rashid both became unseated from their bikes as they collided with it.

Taj sustained a number of serious injuries including a fracture to his right arm and fractures to his left foot.

Rashid was struck by the RS3 as it hit the central reservation becoming trapped by the vehicle and passed away at the scene as a result of his injuries.

One of the cars after the crash (Image: Cheshire Police)

Cheshire Police said the men had a "horrific attitude to driving" and added "none of them have shown any remorse".

Taj and Saeed were on trial last year but left the UK partway through it, in October 2023.

They subsequently pleaded guilty to their offences after dialling into the court from abroad.

But both men failed to return for their sentencing and were dealt with in their absence on December 15 last year.

The pair were jailed for 12 years each and warrants for their arrest were issued.

Asgar Taj (Image: Cheshire Police)

Taj and Saeed appeared at Minshull Street Crown Court on the afternoon they were arrested at the airport, but had the case adjourned until July 12, so they could be seen by the judge who issued the sentences while they were on the run.

Taj was sentenced then but Saeed was not represented in court and so not dealt with until last Friday.

Following their sentencing, Inspector Steve Griffiths, of the Serious and Complex Collision Investigation Unit at Cheshire police, said: “As this result demonstrates, we will not give up, if you commit a crime in Cheshire, you will be arrested and you will be held accountable.

“Both Saeed and Taj had been actively evading justice, fleeing the county partway through their trial, before failing to return for their sentencing hearing.

“Thankfully, both men are now behind bars facing significant custodial sentences, which reflect the severity of the actions that day when they took part in an illegal street race which resulted in the death of their friend.”

Mohammad Zubair Chaudry (Image: Cheshire Police)

Chaudry, 31, of Kingsway, Cheadle also pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving but remains outstanding and enquiries to locate him are ongoing.

He was sentenced to 10 years and seven months in prison.