Driver who killed 16 year old in Sheffield claims he 'panicked' and 'just wanted to get away'

A driver accused of murdering a 16-year-old boy when he mounted the pavement and hit him with his car has told a jury: "It was not my intention for anything like this to happen to him or to anyone."

Zulkernain Ahmed, 21, was asked on Thursday about the moment his Audi ploughed into Abdullah Yaser Abdullah Taleb, throwing the pedestrian into the air on Staniforth Road, in the Darnall area of Sheffield, on June 4 last year.

Sheffield Crown Court has been shown graphic video footage of the vehicle moving to the wrong side of the road, colliding with an e-bike rider called La'rome Divers, throwing him over a hedge, before hitting Abdullah as he was walking along the pavement.

Ahmed told a jury at Sheffield Crown Court how he was out looking for Mr Divers, because he was worried he was a threat to his family after a dispute over e-bikes, and spotted him riding on Staniforth Road.

The defendant, who admitted taking a baseball bat with him, told the jury he only wanted to talk to Mr Divers but "at the last second I got scared and panicked".

He said: "I thought I'd give him (Mr Divers) a nudge. Nothing that would injure or harm him."

He told the court: "(Mr Divers) was a well known individual not to be messed with.

"The reality came about that second."

Ahmed said: "I just misjudged it and it all went wrong. That was never my intention."

He said: "I hit a kerb and I don't know what happened. It happened so fast."

He said he did not remember seeing Abdullah.

The defendant said he only found out that someone had died when he was heading to Dover in an attempt to flee to Turkey.

Asked what happened with the others in the car when they finally stopped after the collision, Ahmed told the jury: "I remember somebody saying 'what the f*** just happened?'."

He said: "I was just panicking and I was scared. I just wanted to get away."

Ahmed, who denies murdering Abdullah along with two other men, confirmed that he has pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

Alistair Webster KC, defending, asked him: "Are you responsible for his death?"

Ahmed said: "Yes".

The defendant also confirmed that his driving was "highly dangerous".

He told the jury he stood by the wording of a written statement he gave police, which said: "I feel absolutely terrible about what has happened, I feel devastated for the victim's family, I feel deep remorse and regret about the choices I took."

On Thursday he told the jury: "I'm sorry for what happened. It was not my intention for anything like this to happen to him or to anyone."

He added: "I can't turn the clock back."

Ahmed confirmed he has learning difficulties, autism spectrum disorder and ADHD, which means he is fidgety, noisy, finds it difficult to concentrate, and cannot sit still.

Mr Webster said: "Do you think things through?"

He said: "No."

Prosecutors have told the jury Abdullah was "in the wrong place at the wrong time" when Ahmed used the car as a "weapon".

They allege the defendant targeted the two e-bike riders, including Mr Divers, and a moped rider, who were all riding together on Staniforth Road.

Mr Divers, who refused to make a statement to police, was seriously injured in the incident, the court has heard.

Ahmed denies murder along with his brother Armaan Ahmed, 26, and Adam Mohammed, 30.

Prosecutors say Ahmed's co-defendants were back seat passengers at the time of the collision.

Another Ahmed brother, Zain, was the front seat passenger, but has not been traced by police, the prosecution has said.

The jury has been told how Zulkernain and Armaan were arrested in Dover.

Zulkernain Ahmed and Armaan Ahmed, both of Locke Drive, Darnall, and Mohammed, of Acres Hill Road, Darnall, all also deny attempting to murder each of the three riders - two of whom have never been identified.

The defendants also deny alternative charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and attempted grievous bodily harm with intent.

But the jury has been told that Zulkernain Ahmed has admitted the manslaughter of Abdullah and one charge of causing grievous bodily harm.

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