A young entrepreneur who killed a father-of-two when he took the split-second decision to carry out a "catastrophic" overtaking manoeuvre has been locked up.
Mustafaa Hussain’s dangerous moment of ill-judgement resulted in Mark Coleman suffering fatal injuries when he was thrown from his Honda scooter minutes after leaving work.
The 27-year-old accelerated past a stationary vehicle in his Audi A4 before smashing into Mr Coleman as he was riding along Riverside Park Road in Middlesbrough, Teesside Crown Court heard.
The 42-year-old died in hospital three days after the crash and his family said their lives were irrevocably changed by their devastating loss.
Judge Jonathan Carroll described Mr Coleman’s death as an "absolutely avoidable tragedy" as he locked Hussain up for almost five years.
“This is an absolute and total tragedy and the pain of that tragedy is made so much worse because it is unavoidable,” he said.
“Making a catastrophically bad and wrong decision, in that short space of time, your ill-judged even stupid decision, even if you had completed the manoeuvre, would have gained you almost nothing due to the long line of traffic.
“That has taken Mark Coleman’s life and turned yours upside down too.”
In powerful victim impact statements, Mr Coleman’s partner and his parents outlined their devastating loss to the court.
His parents said that "our whole family is destroyed and broken", adding that it left them broken-hearted and their lives shattered to pieces.
Mr Coleman’s wife added: "We have been robbed of the love, laughter and protection he brought to our lives.”
Hussain, of Finchlay Court in Middlesbrough, admitted causing death by dangerous driving following the crash on November 23, 2023.
Jolyon Perks, prosecuting, accepted that Hussain’s decision to overtake was taken within a split-second, but the defendant was wholly responsible for the fatal collision.
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The court heard how Mr Coleman died at James Cook University Hospital on November 26, 2023, with his cause of death given as blunt force head trauma.
Lee Goodchild, mitigating, said the fatal accident had impacted the young entrepreneur’s own mental health and resulted in the loss of his clothing business and his long-term relationship.
Hussain was jailed for four years and ten months and was banned from driving for seven years and five months.
He was told he must pass an extended driving test before taking to public roads again.
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