Hardeep Bhachu, 29, and Jasskamal Riyat, 37, received 12‑ and 16‑year sentences respectively on Monday at Leeds Crown Court. The verdict followed a January 16, 2023 collision that claimed the lives of 27‑year‑old Justyna Hulboj and her four‑year‑old daughter Lena Czepczor.
Police say Bhachu was driving an Audi TT RS while Riyat wielded a BMW 135i. Witness footage shows the black BMW racing at 89 mph on a 40‑mph stretch, and the Audi cutting across after a traffic light before losing grip.
Judge Ray Singh warned that "a road is not a race track" and that competitive driving at extreme speed can be irreversible. He added that the men’s actions proved the deadly stakes of such recklessness.
West Yorkshire Police traced the incident with dash‑cam and CCTV, linking Riyat to the BMW and Bhachu to the Audi. The two men had no prior criminal record and had not known each other before the fateful encounter.
Justyna’s fiancé, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the crash "collapsed his whole world in one second" and that the family will never recover. Both men will serve a six‑year driving ban and must pass an extended test before any licence can be reinstated.