A DRIVER filmed speeding at more than 100mph just minutes before killing two women after crashing into them was jailed for more than 19 years.
Convicted drug dealer Liam Slade, 33, from Newport hit his victims on the M4 motorway just over the border in England near the Prince of Wales Bridge.
Suad Ahmed, 68, and Saado Hussein, 58, died at the scene after the disqualified driver smashed his Volkswagen Passat into them.
The two women were passengers in a Peugeot 207 and on their way back from a wedding in Cardiff.
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The other three people in the car needed hospital treatment.
Liam Slade’s front seat passenger recorded him driving at more than 100mph
One of them sustained neck fractures while another broke five ribs and fractured a shoulder blade.
The family of Suad Ahmed said in a victim personal statement it was “impossible” to summarise how the events of that day had impacted them, saying it was “torture” not to hear from her each day.
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They added: “This person who appears in court today has affected all of our family’s hearts in a way no one can imagine.
“It is complete agony to know that we have to live with this nightmare for the rest of our lives.”
Saado Hussein’s family described her death as a “gut-wrenching pain that will never go away”, adding the unavoidable consequence of not being able to quickly bury their mother in accordance with their faith made it all the harder still.
They added: “Our hearts are aching. And will ache forever.
“There’s nothing this court or anyone else can do to bring back mum.
“For us there will never be full justice. But we hope and pray that this driver is not in a position to cause anyone else the pain and never-ending heartbreak our family has had to endure.”
Emergency services were called to the incident at around 12.05am on Monday, July 17.
Bristol Crown Court heard how the M4 was closed for several hours while efforts were made to help the injured and collision investigation work was carried out.
Witnesses told police Slade had been seen to drive at high speed, estimated to be 100-120mph.
He was said to be weaving the Passat between vehicles and undertaking.
A video was found by detectives that had been recorded by Slade’s front seat passenger.
It was taken some four minutes before the crash and it shows the speedometer above 100mph.
Slade fled the scene and was arrested at home in Newport the day after the collision.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, causing death by driving while disqualified and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
Judge William Hart described Slade as “a man with a deplorable record with no regard to the law”.
The defendant was jailed for 19 years and eight months.
The sentence includes an extended licence period of five years.
Officer in the case Dai Nicholas from Avon and Somerset Police said: “What should have been a night of celebration, turned into a tragedy that months on is still hard to comprehend.
“Suad Ahmed and Saado Hussein were returning from a wedding when they were killed by the dangerous driving of Liam Slade.
"His actions left a further three people hurt, two of them seriously, and they are continuing to recover from the physical injuries sustained that night.
“Slade had been disqualified from driving in January for a drink-driving offence.
"He should never have been behind the wheel that night, let alone travelling at the reckless speed he was.
"He committed two of the most dangerous acts any motorist can do on the roads.
“Given the choice of calling for help for those he had harmed or protecting himself, he chose to run away.
“Even when he was arrested he still refused to own up to what he had done.
"His guilty pleas come in the face of irrefutable evidence about how dangerous his driving was.
“Our hearts go out to both families who have been left devastated by what unfolded on the M4 that night.
“They have shown incredible courage to prepare victim personal statements for the court and are grateful for the support they have shown to us throughout our enquiries.”
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