A man has been jailed after a cyclist died in a road accident in Newham.

Syed Minhaz Ahmed, 32, of Third Avenue in Newham, was found to be driving at “more than twice” the speed limit moments before his car crashed into the victim on July 24 in 2020.

Jay Kristiansen, 31, was reportedly “thrown from his bike” in the accident but Ahmed did not stop at the scene.  He was left with “catastrophic injuries” and was said to have relied on members of public to call for help.  

Officers of Met Police and paramedics from London Ambulance Service attended the site of the collision on Romford Road following this.

Despite their best efforts to save Mr Kristiansen, he died from his injuries in the Royal London Hospital the next day.

A Met Police press release revealed that Ahmed’s car was found abandoned later and he handed himself in 33 hours after the crash.

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He was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving after a five-day trial in March 2023 where a jury found him guilty unanimously.

He appeared at the Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday (August 4) where he was sentenced to four years imprisonment, two of which will be served on license.

The judges also disqualified him from driving for six years and ordered him to taken an “extended retest” at the end of the disqualification period.

Liz Carrey, Acting Detective Sergeant from Met Police said in a statement that Ahmed’s “reckless actions” that day has left Kristiansen’s family and friends “devastated”.

Their investigation, she said, showed that Ahmed had “no regard for public safety” with CCTV footage showing that he was driving at over 65mph in a 30mph zone.

She said: “I hope that the sentence handed down today serves as a warning of the potential consequences of driving recklessly.”

Kristiansen was described as a “funny and caring young man with great kindness and love for animals” by a spokesperson from his family.

He, the spokesperson said, had many “hopes and dreams” that he will no longer be able to realise like having a family of his own.

The spokesperson added: “Today we finally got justice for our cheeky little chappie. We will miss you forever, life isn’t the same without you here.”