A killer driver, who left a Bradford cabbie so severely injured he has to use a wheelchair, has been jailed for eight years.

Private hire driver Mohammed Sadiq, 35, was left with life-threatening injuries when his Skoda Superb taxi was hit head on by a Vauxhall Astra, being driven without lights, on the wrong side of the road and at 78mph near to Leeds city centre. A passenger in the Astra was killed. Another lost a thumb.

The Astra driver, Dominic Croasdale, admitted causing death by dangerous driving and was jailed for eight years at Leeds Crown Court yesterday and banned from driving for ten years.

Mr Sadiq suffered two broken legs and internal injuries which needed surgery.

The court heard the cab driver remembered nothing of the incident from dropping a passenger off in Headingley until waking in hospital ten days later.

He attended court in a wheelchair, is now disabled, and unable to work and support his family. He is in constant pain and is still undergoing treatment.

The head-on crash happened in the early hours of September 1 last year, in Burley Street, Leeds, as Croasdale tried to get away from police.

The court heard he had been released from prison on licence after he was jailed for four and a half years for a one-punch manslaughter.

Nigel Wray, prosecuting, showed the court shocking CCTV footage of the Astra on the wrong side of the road crashing straight into Mr Sadiq’s cab.

The impact then flung the Astra into a wall, missing two pedestrians by only a few feet.

Croasdale was also seriously injured.

Mr Wray told the court inquiries revealed Croasdale had lied to get insurance pretending to be ten years older than he was and stating he had no previous convictions.

The court also heard Croasdale had traces of cocaine in his blood.

Croasdale, 24 of Lincoln Green Court, Leeds, admitted causing death by dangerous driving.

Judge James Spencer QC said the offence was made worse by the fact he was responsible for taking another person’s life in the past.

He had completely disregarded the care he owed to others by his driving that night. No sentence could now turn the clock back for those who had suffered as a result.

“When the police car tried to pull you over you decided to drive away from it. Your concern at that stage was solely for yourself and for no one else.”

After the case, Detective Chief Inspector Adrian Taylor said: “Dominic Croasdale’s decision to drive dangerously to avoid being stopped by the police that night resulted in the death of his friend.”