A 26-year-old beautician has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for causing the death of her friend in a high-speed Lamborghini crash on the M62 in West Yorkshire.
Humaira Batool, from Bradford, was also disqualified from driving after the fatal collision, which happened in the early hours of December 21, 2022, near Ripponden.
She failed to attend her scheduled sentencing hearing at Leeds Crown Court on Monday, claiming that an endometriosis flare-up had forced her to seek treatment at A&E.
Prosecutor Christopher Dunn described the explanation as “clearly a ruse”, arguing that she was attempting to avoid justice.
Judge Ray Singh issued an arrest warrant, and police subsequently found Batool at Bradford Royal Infirmary. Officers took her directly to court, where she was remanded in custody overnight.
She appeared for her rearranged sentencing hearing on crutches, wearing a winter coat, and showed no emotion as the 10-year prison term was handed down.
Crash Occurred While Lamborghini Was Travelling at 143mph
The court heard that Batool had been driving a rented Lamborghini Urus, valued at approximately £220,000, when it crashed in wet conditions.
The vehicle was travelling at speeds of up to 143mph before going through a barrier on the M62 and overturning.
The Lamborghini subsequently caught fire, trapping its passenger, 20-year-old Mohammed Shaan Hussain, inside the wreckage.
Motorists who had been overtaken by the car stopped to help after witnessing the collision. They heard a woman calling for assistance and attempted to reach Hussain, but the flames prevented them from rescuing him.
Although Hussain survived the initial impact, he died in the fire.
Batool escaped after the blaze melted her seatbelt, allowing her to get out of the vehicle. She sustained serious injuries, including burns to approximately 10 per cent of her body and a shattered tibia.
Judge Singh described Hussain’s death as “a truly dreadful way for any human being to die”.
CCTV Evidence Contradicted Batool’s Initial Account
Following the crash, Batool initially told investigators that she had been asleep in the passenger seat when the Lamborghini overturned.
However, her account changed after investigators presented CCTV footage showing her leaving the passenger seat at traffic lights and taking over the driving position from Hussain.
She subsequently claimed that the vehicle had accelerated beyond 140mph because Hussain had been reaching over and interfering with its controls, causing it to surge forward.
A Lamborghini expert rejected that explanation, telling the court that the speeds recorded could only have been achieved through the driver pressing the accelerator with their right foot.
The evidence also showed that Batool had continued driving at excessive speeds over a considerable distance.
Judge Condemns Attempts to Blame Victim
During sentencing, Judge Singh said Hussain had been only 20 years old when his life was cut short in what he described as a tragic and entirely avoidable death.
He said the dangerous driving had continued over several miles, involving deliberate decisions to maintain excessive speeds and accelerate when Batool believed she was unlikely to be detected.
The judge also criticised her repeated attempts to attribute responsibility for the crash to Hussain.
He said she had sought to blame him despite knowing that he could no longer speak for himself.
Describing the circumstances of the young man’s death, Judge Singh said Hussain had survived the initial collision but remained trapped inside the burning vehicle.
Hussain’s Mother Describes Devastating Impact on Family
In a victim impact statement, Hussain’s mother, Nasreen Akhtar, said the family had been devastated by the sudden loss of her son.
“My son was the heartbeat of this home. To lose him suddenly in this horror crash has broken us in ways we can’t put into words,” she said.
She added that Hussain was just 20 and had his whole life ahead of him.
Akhtar said his death had affected every member of the family and left them unable to return to their previous lives.
She also said Batool’s attempts to blame her son had made the family’s grief even more difficult to bear.
“No parent should have to fight for the honour of their child while still weeping for him,” she said.
Batool’s Absence From Court Described as Unforgivable
When Batool was brought before the court after missing Monday’s hearing, Judge Singh described her failure to attend as “unforgivable”.
As the court considered whether she should remain in custody ahead of the rearranged sentencing, Dunn raised concerns about her reliability.
The prosecutor referred to social media photographs that he said showed Batool wearing high heels and a ball gown in the weeks before her trial.
He told the judge he did not want the court to be misled when considering bail, arguing that the photographs raised questions about whether she could be trusted.
In mitigation, defence barrister Richard Dawson said Batool was still grieving the loss of her friend.
He also pointed to the life-changing injuries she had sustained in the crash and said she had been extremely fortunate to survive.
Previous Driving Conviction Also Raised in Court
The trial heard that Batool had previously lost her driving licence after being convicted of driving without insurance.
She later passed another driving test but had been advised not to drive because she had experienced blackouts.
Following her release from prison, she will also be subject to a five-year driving ban.
