Wednesday 16 September 2009

Yet another travesty of justice

Two years ago:

A man has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving after a motorcyclist and his son died in a collision in Lincolnshire.

But thanks to the Crown Prosecution Service the accused is unlikely ever to stand trial.

Syed Raza fled Britain after the deaths of Michael Rowley and his son Jonathan in 2007, telling police and prosecutors that he had to return to Pakistan to help care for his sick mother.

Since then several crown court dates have had to be abandoned because Raza failed to return. He was due to stand trial this afternoon for causing the deaths of the two Rotherham men by dangerous driving.

But it has emerged he has broken a promise to return to the UK, using a £516 airline ticket paid for by police investigators.

The 27-year-old was arrested and charged, but was not asked to surrender his passport and was given permission to return to Pakistan by the Crown Prosecution Service.