Road rage driver who killed 'loving' grandfather with single punch is locked up
A driver who killed a grandfather in a road rage attack just two weeks before Christmas has been put behind bars for more than eight years.
Arslan Farooq fatally punched Simon West at around 5.30pm on December 10 last year in Oldbury.
The 25-year-old, of Gipsey Lane in Birmingham, was locked up on Friday after previously admitting the manslaughter of 51-year-old Simon West, as well as dangerous driving.
Farooq had confronted Mr West on the A4123 Wolverhampton Road after forcing him to pull over. Witness statements said Farooq punched his victim once, sending him to the floor, before getting back in his Vauxhall Astra and driving away.
Mr West was taken to hospital with serious head injuries but died four days later.
Meanwhile, officers traced Farooq, who claimed in a police interview on December 11, that he had been 'cut-up' by Mr West.
But CCTV retrieved by investigators showed that Farooq was behind Mr West's black Peugeot van as they went through traffic lights at the junction of Pool Road and Causeway Green Road.
Both vehicles then turned right onto Wolverhampton Road, a dual carriageway, and Farooq overtook Mr West, but slowed as he went past, so both cars were travelling alongside each other.
The court heard Farooq then swerved aggressively into the inside lane just ahead of Mr West, before quickly pulling back into the outside lane.
He then moved back into the inside lane and as Mr West moved to go past in the outside lane, Farooq pulled out across in front of him, forcing him to stop.
After the attack, despite the best efforts of medics, Mr West died in hospital on December 14, with a post mortem showing he'd died from a traumatic head injury.
Farooq was arrested again the following day before admitting manslaughter and dangerous driving in May.
At Birmingham Crown Court on Friday, Farooq was jailed for eight years and three months, and given a 12-month driving ban after his release.
Mr West's family have previously paid tribute to him, saying: "Simon was a loving and caring father, brother, son, partner and recently grandfather.
"He was loved by everybody he met and will be deeply missed”
Det Insp Ranj Sangha, from the West Midlands Police Homicide Team said: "Actions like these have no place on our roads and it is truly tragic that such an incident resulted in a man's life being lost.
"But we have been able to establish exactly what happened and bring the person responsible for such a devastating consequences before the courts.
"We can only hope that with this jailing, Mr West's family can find some peace."
