The son of a Black Country millionaire couple was jailed for 21 months today for causing a crash which left a baby brain damaged and in need of 24-hour care.
Antonio Singh Boparan, aged 21, and the son of food suppliers Ranjit and Baljinder Boparan who own the West Bromwich-based Two Sisters Food Group, was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court for dangerous driving after he ploughed into a jeep which was carrying 11-month-old Cerys Edwards in Sutton Coldfield in November 2006.
Cerys, now aged two, remains unable to breathe without a ventilator.
Judge Frank Chapman told Boparan: “I am taking away a small part of your life but it is a fraction of what you have done to Cerys and her family.
“This was an aggressive piece of driving and showed an arrogant disregard for the safety of other people.”
Boparan, of Roman Lane, Little Aston, was 19 when he drove his mother’s high performance Range Rover at around 70mph along a 30mph road and lost control.
A number of people were injured in the crash, including himself.
Prosecutors were able to gather evidence about his speed thanks to a hi-tech German airbag system fitted to the Range Rover, which helped estimate Boparan’s speed at the time of impact.
The case is believed to be the first in the UK to use such a system as evidence in a prosecution.
The court heard Cerys remained on a life support machine and would never be able to walk or talk again.
Judge Chapman said: “Her life and the lives of her parents have been utterly ruined by what you did.
“You were driving a very, very powerful car. I have heard that sort of car described has a tank with a sports car engine.”
The maximum sentence for dangerous driving is two years. Judge Chapman said he has taken into account Boparan’s good character and the fact that he was not a “young hooligan with convictions for violence”.
Boparan was also banned from driving for five years and ordered to pay prosecution costs by selling his only asset, his Audi car.
23 Comments
I hope that his god can forgive him. I certainly can’t and his parents are as much to blame for letting him use such a powerful car at his age. I wish Cerys and her family all God’s love and in this case justice certainly hasn’t been done.
He should be made to pay for the care of this poor unfortunate child for the rest of his life
British Justice is seen to be DONE again. `More than TWICE the legal speed limit`, “in a car that was not his`. What this little girl and her family went through and are still going through does not bear thinking about. Oh, and `he had to sell his only current asset HIS car to pay for the costs`. Remind me again, `The son of a West Midlands millionaire couple` Obviously the judge is fully aware of what goes on out there in the real world. I am ashamed of The British Justice System
This kid and thats what he obviously is a kid should never be able to get a driving license again for any vehicle whatsoever! I cannot believe that this can happen in our country. I send my sympathies and love to little Cerys’ family and agree that he should pay for her care for the rest of her life. This was not a mistake 70mph in a 30! unbelievable!!
Stupidity allowing a young man such a powerful car. When oh when are people going to realise cars are lethal weapons in the wrong hands.
He should be banned for LIFE.
Should be made to pay and banned from driving for the rest of his life. Justice in this country stinks!
as one of the emergency crews at the scene of this atrocity, i have just seen the pictures of the damage to Mrs edwards car for the first time. How any one could have survived is a miracle. Thankfully, the Lord does not pay his debts in money.Lets see if his parents money helps him in prison, where he belongs, for a lot longer than 21 months.
as one of the emergency crews at the scene of this atrocity, i have just seen the pictures of the damage to Mrs edwards car for the first time. How any one could have survived is a miracle. Thankfully, the Lord does not pay his debts in money.Lets see if Boparans parents money helps him in prison, where he belongs, for a lot longer than 21 months.
Ten years working in A & E would be appropriate.If his multi millionaire parents,had a grain of decency,and any compassion,they would pay for this poor child’s care for the rest of her life.
I couldn’t agree more with the comments above. Once you take someone’s life or cause injury such as this in a car, you should NEVER be allowed to drive again. It’s time people realised that driving is a privilege not a right. I hate to imagine if that was my daughter, i think i would find myself in court shortly after for “accidently” losing control of my car and running the perpetrator down.
When are the Government and the Justice System going to protect the citizens of this country?
Again, again and again another child life ended by car.
It seems like every week some one is killed or maimed by nutters driving cars and when they are caught they are given ridiculous sentences.
This driver got into a high speed car, travelled at over twice the speed limit and ruined a Childs life that to me is no different than him going out with a loaded gun and shooting someone.
22 months in jail for ruining a Childs life and giving the family a lifetime of suffering!
22 months!! Were did the judge get this one from?? The nutter will be out in 10 months what sort of deterrent is that? No doubt the judge will blame Government policy.
It’s about time something DRASTIC is done to stop this behaviour and I‘m afraid it is not the present Government.
yep i agree, he should pay for that little girls care for the rest of his life!! 21 months is a stupid sentence, i hope he is made to suffer as this girls family are.shame on the judge!!!
The son of a Black Country millionaire couple…ordered to pay prosecution costs by selling his only asset, his Audi car… My A***
My heart goes out to the parents of little
Cerys, I can’t imagine what they’ve been
going through,or indeed, what that they’ll
have to go through in the future.
21 months is a joke!
As for comments 8&9,what are you on,idiot!
Disgusting, just watched this on the news. This dispicable sentence matches the dispicable justice system…..and the reckless dispicable git who did this to this poor girl and her family.
All my best to Cerys and her family.
he should be banned 4 driving 4 life at the least!!! 21 months in jail is a complete joke!! no money in the world can give back this little girls life!
I agree with you all, however was he not also recently reported for being caught for doing 95mph on the motorway this guy is a total liability with no scruples, this recent speeding offence proves that he has no compassion / regret for what he has done to baby Cerys and family, he need sit in court with his head in his hands he should be made to do community work in a rehabilitation unit for RTA victims, rich parents, powerful cars cant help wonder where the blame realy lies here.
Maybe his parents should have taken time off from empire building and spent more with this child during his formative years teaching him the difference between right and wrong. I do not absolve the young man of any blame, indeed 21 months is a mockery. But the parents are equally responsible.
come on 21 months were is the Justice.well if he is a man He should be made to pay for the care.well he is The son of a Black Country millionaire.i bet thay r not thinking of Cerys Edwards
good character!!!wat is the judge thinking.He was driving his mothers car at ridiculous speed !!!
Its probably because he hasnt been caught before or his parents could have bought him out of it before.You never know stranger things have happened.
I feel for the Cerys and her family ..
I feel the punishment wasn’t severe enough for the crime and the after effects.
Aah so sad, the poor lad’s had to sell his Audi - his only asset - to cover his legal costs. He should forgo his inheritance to pay for the baby’s long term care.
I have two beautiful daughters aged under two.
I would so much like to be locked in the same cell as Antonio Borapan Singh with a few other like minded men, (not all that hard to find).
It is ironic that his father is number 49 or so on the ” UK rich list”, but his son has gone one better and is now number 1 on the “UK hate list”. I would guess that right now about 50,000,000 people would like to see him twitching at the end of a rope.
For those that drive dangerously in residential areas, being hated for ruining people’s lives is the chance you take.