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Texting death crash peer jailed Texting death crash peer jailed
(10 minutes later)
A Labour peer who sent and received text messages minutes before he was involved in a fatal crash on the M1 has been jailed for 12 weeks.A Labour peer who sent and received text messages minutes before he was involved in a fatal crash on the M1 has been jailed for 12 weeks.
Lord Ahmed was driving his Jaguar when he hit a stationary car in the outside lane of the motorway on Christmas Day 2007. Lord Ahmed, 51, was driving his Jaguar when he hit a stationary car in the outside lane of the motorway on Christmas Day 2007.
The driver of the vehicle, Martyn Gombar, 28, was killed.The driver of the vehicle, Martyn Gombar, 28, was killed.
Lord Ahmed, 51, of Rotherham, was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court. He had admitted driving dangerously. Lord Ahmed, of Rotherham, was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court. He had admitted driving dangerously.
The crash happened near to junction 35 of the southbound carriageway at Rotherham.
Mr Gombar was Slovakian but was living in Leigh, Greater Manchester, at the time of his death.Mr Gombar was Slovakian but was living in Leigh, Greater Manchester, at the time of his death.
Lord Ahmed was also banned from driving for a year. His Audi car was stationary facing the wrong way in the third lane of the motorway because it had been involved in another crash.
The judge sentencing him stressed that the text messaging had finished before the accident took place and was not connected to the fatal incident. One motorist had already clipped it with his car and another had to take emergency action to avoid the vehicle.
The court had heard how Lord Ahmed sent and received a series of five text messages while driving in the dark at speeds of, and above, 60mph along a 17-mile stretch of the motorway.
The judge sentencing him said that the text messaging had finished before the accident took place and was not connected to the fatal incident.
Lord Ahmed's elderly mother and his wife were passengers in the car at the time.
He will serve half of his sentence in jail and half on licence. He was also banned from driving for a year.