A cabbie who caused the death of a motorcyclist in Bradford was banned from the road at the time for dangerous driving, a judge heard.

Muhammed Arshad was mistakenly issued with a full driving licence by the DVLA after he changed his name for religious reasons and was then granted a private hire licence, Bradford Crown Court was told.

Today, Arshad, 53, was starting a 15-month prison sentence for causing the death of David Stringer by careless driving on November 15, 2008.

Arshad, of Wellands Terrace, Bradford Moor, was unanimously convicted by a jury yesterday after a re-trial.

There were cries of relief in court from Mr Stringer’s family as the jury foreman announced the guilty verdict.

Mr Stringer, 38, who lived with his partner and their son in Wibsey, Bradford, died of multiple injuries when his Suzuki Bandit machine collided with the front of Arshad’s Toyota Avensis.

He was flung over the handlebars into a parked car.

The trial heard that Mr Stringer was riding in excess of the speed limit as he headed away from Bradford city centre on a straight stretch of Great Horton Road in the afternoon.

Arshad was doing a three-point turn in his private hire vehicle.

After the verdict, prosecutor Andrew Kershaw told the court that in July, 1996, Arshad was banned from driving and ordered to pass an extended re-test before getting behind the wheel after pleading guilty to dangerous driving at Calderdale Magistrates’ Court, Halifax.

But Arshad illegally took to the road almost immediately. He was convicted of driving while disqualified at Bradford Magistrates’ Court the next month and banned for three years.

Arshad changed his name by Deed Poll in 1999 and more motoring convictions followed.

In 2006, he applied for an identity card driving licence and was wrongly issued with a full licence by the DVLA.

After being turned down for a private hire licence, he re-applied and was successful, without ever having passed the extended re-test.

Arshad’s barrister, Richard Wright, said he had changed his name for religious reasons and not to deceive anyone.

But Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC told Arshad: “You were on the road when you should not have been.”

After the case, members of Mr Stringer’s family welcomed the jail sentence and said he could now rest in peace.

Arshad’s solicitor, Abdul Iftikhar, said he would be appealing against the sentence.

  • Read the full story in Thursday's T&A