Van driver who killed university student, 20, in central London crash is jailed

A van driver who killed a university student and seriously injured two other people has been jailed for eight years.

Christopher Jackson, 27, ploughed through a set of iron gates leading to the pedestrian zone of The Strand in central London shortly before lunchtime on March 18 last year.

The heavy gates struck a 28-year-old woman and a 24-year-old man, leaving both with severe and life-changing injuries.

Jackson carried on accelerating forwards, hitting a flower bed and briefly going airborne before smashing into Kings College London student Aalia Mahomed.

The 20-year-old, who was in her second year of a physics and philosophy degree, was sitting on a bench with her back to the van when it hit her. She died at the scene.

Her mum Samira Shafi paid tribute to her in a statement read out at the Old Bailey, saying she was ‘the most amazing daughter’.

Ms Shafi became emotional as she read a statement to the court.

She said: ‘Not a single second has passed without me feeling an unbearable void she has left behind.’

She described going to the scene of the incident and being told by a police officer initially that her daughter was fine, before they called her the wrong name, then told how her ‘world changed forever’ when she was later told what had happened to her daughter.

Ms Shafi added: ‘The trauma of losing my child in such a violent manner is a nightmare that never ends.’

She said she will ‘always be incredibly proud to have been blessed with the most amazing daughter and to have been her mother’.

A statement from Ms Mahomed’s father Shameer Mahomed was read by his sister, and he said ‘she was always happy, never said anything bad about anybody’.

He added: ‘She was a friend to all of us and we all miss her terribly.’

The police investigation revealed no faults with the van and detectives pinned the blame squarely on Jackson, with a spokesperson saying: ‘Forensic collision investigators established that one of the main causes of the incident was unintended acceleration, made worse by Jackson’s panic.’

Jackson had never driven an electric vehicle before, the court heard, and mistook the accelerator for the brake.

A friend, who was with Ms Mahomed at the time, confronted the driver, who said he ‘had no control’ and the van ‘just took off’, the court heard.

Jackson previously pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

He looked down in the dock today as Judge Philip Katz KC jailed him for eight years for causing death by dangerous driving, and three years each for the two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, which will run concurrently.

The judge paid tribute to Aalia’s family, who ‘spoke with grace, dignity and eloquence of their profound loss and crushing grief’.

He added: ‘It is simply not possible to overstate the impact of Aalia’s killing on them, as well as on Aalia’s wider family and friends.

‘What shone brightly was their pride in who Aalia was.

‘The dangerous driver who caused Aalia’s death also caused life-changing injuries to two other Kings students.

‘For wholly understandable reasons neither of them wished their victim impact statements to be read out in court.

‘Their wishes have been honoured, but I will only say that their evidence is a humbling testament to their courage, resilience and strength of character.

‘Quite apart from the unimaginable pain and suffering they have already endured, each of them faces huge uncertainties and challenges in relation to their future health, careers and wellbeing.

‘The impact on them could not be more severe. They could easily have been killed.

‘You, Christopher Jackson, must live with the knowledge that you are the driver who caused all this dreadful damage.’

Jackson was told he would serve two-thirds of his sentence before being released on licence.

He was also told he would be disqualified from driving for five years, which would be extended for the period he will be in custody, and that he must pass a compulsory retest.

Detective Chief Superintendent Donna Smith said: ‘It is almost a year to the day since this terrible incident took place.

‘It should never have happened, and Aalia should still be with us today, surrounded by those who loved her.

‘Our thoughts, as always, remain with Aalia’s family and friends. Their strength over the past year has been extraordinary. We cannot begin to imagine the immeasurable suffering they have been through since last March.

‘We would also like to share our thoughts with the two other victims, whose lives have been forever changed. They continue to show remarkable courage, and we know their lives will never be the same.’

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