From the Bolton Evening News on April 29, 2006
Fury over death crash driver's sentence
THE family of a nine-year-old girl killed by a hit and run driver have slammed the motorist's 15-month prison sentence as "an insult".
Furious relatives of Ellese Gore stormed from the courtroom in tears as Judge William Morris jailed Mouishen Ismal Ahmed for 15 and a half months a decision which could see him released in seven weeks.
Ahmed, aged 18, of Lumsden Street, Great Lever, has already spent six months in custody at a young offenders' institute.
And in a statement read outside court by a police officer, Ellese's grandmother Linda Gore said: "The whole family has been left devastated by today's sentence. Although no sentence could ever bring Ellese back, this just feels like an insult."
Bolton Crown Court heard that A
hmed had been speeding along Kay Street at up to 60 mph at 9pm on October 19 last year when his black Vauxhall Corsa ploughed in to Ellese, who was walking home after buying sweets with friends.
Witnesses saw Ahmed brake momentarily after his car struck the girl, but he fled the scene and stayed silent for 11 days while police and Ellese's devastated family frantically appealed for the driver to come forward.
Ahmed even sent text messages to a friend, who was a passenger in the car at the time of the crash, urging him to lie to police about the speed he was travelling if he was questioned.
Ahmed pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and leaving the scene of an accident.
Before sentencing, Ahmed, Judge William Morris said he had considered the driver's age, previous good character and the fact that the case had "come low on the scale of criminal culpability".
He said the threshold of dangerousness was passed only by a narrow margin and that Ahmed's speed was "not gross".
The judge added: "Other drivers had no difficulty in seeing the children.
"For some reason your attention was not focused on the road ahead.
"You struck the child, a little girl of nine-years-old, Ellese Gore.
"It is clear that the impact was heavy. The car was seen to swerve violently.
"The fact that you knew you had struck something heavy, if not a child, is inevitable.
"You should have stopped, you did not."
Ahmed was sentenced to 12 months in a young offenders institution for causing death by dangerous driving and a further three-and-a-half months for failing to stop after an accident.
Because Ahmed had served 187 days in custody since his arrest the equivalent of a 12 month sentence after deductions have been made for good behaviour he is likely to serve no more than seven weeks from yesterday's sentence, which is equivalent to half of the three-and-a-half months for the lesser charge.
The court heard that Ellese, of Leslie Street, Tonge Moor, had been out playing with
her twin sister Becky and two friends, aged 11 and 15, on the evening of October 19 last year.
After playing on computers in PC World, off Turton Street, Becky decided to go home.
The other three girls went to the Texaco garage across Kay Street to buy some sweets.
After leaving the garage at 9pm the friends headed towards home and began to cross the road, with Ellese leading the way.
As the youngster reached the centre of Kay Street, other drivers saw her and managed to slow down, but Ahmed's Corsa struck her, throwing her into the air, said Alaric Bassano QC, prosecuting.
"Regrettably the two older girls became separated from Ellese as she walked out into the road," he said.
"The defendant was driving the vehicle along Kay Street in Ellese's direction. There are conflicting accounts of the precise speed he was travelling at.
"One witness said 50mph, another said 55, another 60."
One witness described how Ahmed overtook him on the inside lane moments before the collision.
Ahmed then accelerated through a set of traffic lights on to Kay Street, which has a 40mph speed limit.
Mr Bassano said: "All the witnesses who saw the incident agreed the vehicle was travelling too fast.
"Another notable fact is that they were all able to see Ellese in the road.
"One witness whose vehicle was undertaken by the defendant not only saw Ellese but was able to slow down his vehicle and stop in good time.
"The witnesses were bewildered as to why the defendant's vehicle didn't slow down."
He added: "The driving was dangerous because of the excessive speed and the obvious inattention of the driver."
Paramedics arrived at the scene and took Ellese to hospital, but she died before arriving.
Her death sparked a manhunt until Ahmed eventually handed himself in to police.
He told officers he knew he had hit something but was in shock and did not stop until he got home.
Ahmed claimed his fear was the reason he failed to report the crash sooner.
Ahmed Nadim, def
ending, told the court his client had been "in a state of fear" after the collision and was unable to face anyone.
He said: "There is a man tormented by the burden he thought he was carrying as a result of his actions."
Mr Nadim added: "His conduct after the event was not to his credit in that he left the scene.
"His own sense of moral responsibility led him to hand himself in."
About 300 friends, family members and classmates attended her funeral in November last year.
The statement from Mrs Gore continued: "The 10 days following Ellese's death were some of the most difficult we have ever lived through. He could have saved us some of this anguish by coming forward sooner.
"Ellese's twin sister, Becky has been the most affected by this. She grew up with Ellese as a constant friend and now has to live without her.
"Ellese brought nine beautiful years into all our lives and now they have been ruined.
"We hope that this will act as a warning to other drivers. No one ever thinks
that this will happen to them, but a few careless seconds can cost a life."
Ellese lived with her mother, Tracey Gore, twin sister Becky, and five-year-old brother Macauley. Her father, Andy Roberts, is separated from her mother.
Det Insp Paul Hitchen of Bolton CID, who led the investigation, said: "This case highlights the dangers of young drivers who drive too fast and without concentrating.
"Ellese was a beautiful little girl who was not far from her 10th birthday and with her whole life ahead of her.
"Ahmed was driving erratically along the roads of Bolton and the consequences were grave."
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