Wolverhampton death driver 'thought nothing of anybody'

Banned driver Jatinder Paul chased Rajesh Chalotra to his death at the wheel of an Audi R8 after they had enjoyed watching an England football match with friends at the Rose & Crown pub in Penn.

They were supposed to be heading for the Merridale Arms in Merridale Street near Wolverhampton City Centre in June last year, but fatally changed their minds on the way, the court heard.

There had been no bad driving until they pulled up alongside each other at the junction of Penn Road with Wolverhampton Ring Road.

There was a short conversation after the drivers wound down their windows while waiting for the traffic lights to change and both sped off at speeds estimated to have reached almost 100mph in the short dash to Chapel Ash

Mr Rambir Sahota, a back seat passenger in Mr Chalotra's Audi TT, gave evidence to Wolverhamtpon Crown Court describing how Paul "floored the R8" and sped off as the lights went green.

Father-of-three Mr Anand Singh Gill, who was the front seat passenger and also survived the crash, added during his evidence to the court: "Raj was going like a bat out of hell. I was worried for my own safety.

"I said to Raj: 'Geezer, don't be stupid. I need to see my kids tomorrow.'"

In Chapel Ash the R8 went onto the wrong side of the road to overtake slower traffic before "shooting" down Compton Road.

Mr Chalotra's two passengers persuaded him not to follow suit.

The two cars went down Compton Road, which did not have speed cameras.

Paul then tried unsuccessfully to goad Mr Chalotra into another contest. That failed when Mr Chalotra turned off the main Compton Road but Paul would still not give up.

He turned round and tailed his 'rival' up Finchfield Hill flashing his lights.

Then as he overtook Mr Chalotra lost control of the Audi TT in Finchfield Road West.

Paul momentarily returned to the scene to look at the tangled wreckage in which his friend lay dying before driving off.

Mr Chalotra was certified dead at the scene but his two passengers both escaped serious injury. He did not give himself up until four days later by which time it was impossible to check if Paul – who had a previous conviction for excess alcohol – had been drinking before the crash. The Audi R8 was found parked in Bloxwich Road, Walsall, after a call to police.

It looked like the front might have been re-sprayed, but it was impossible to tell when.

The car, which was registered to a sister of Paul, was bought on a hire purchase scheme and has since been repossessed by the finance company.

Jailing Paul for nine years, Judge Stuart Rafferty QC told him: "You thought nothing of anybody. All you cared about was the thrill of showing off and that killed your friend. That is the burden you have to bear for the rest of your life."

The judge, who also banned him from driving for 10 years, told him that the Audi had been used as a "lethal weapon" and that he had "showed off" when he had failed to stop racing at the same time as the victim.

Paul, formerly of Warstones Road, Warstones, and now living in Stanton Road, Great Barr, consistently denied being to blame for the crash until two days into his Birmingham Crown Court trial earlier this year when he changed his plea to finally admit causing the death of Mr Chalotra by dangerous driving.

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard that Paul had also written a letter of apology to Mr Chalotra's family.

But, despite welcoming the jail sentence given to Paul, relatives said the apology was "far too little too late" and that they would not be reading it.