A mother and her four-year-old daughter who were simply walking to school never made it home after two drivers turned a busy Leeds road into a high-speed race.
Justyna Hulboj, 27, and her daughter Lena Czepczor were killed on 16 January 2023 when a white Audi TT, driven by Hardeep Bhachu, lost control and struck them on Scott Hall Road in Leeds.
More than three years after the tragedy, two men have now been jailed for a combined 28 years following proceedings at Leeds Crown Court.
Jasskamal Riyat, 37, of Buckstone Avenue, Moortown, Leeds, was sentenced to 16 years in prison after being found guilty of two counts of causing death by dangerous driving.
Hardeep Bhachu, 29, of Grant Row, Adel, Leeds, received a 12-year prison sentence after previously pleading guilty to causing the deaths of Justyna and Lena by dangerous driving.
Both men were sentenced on Monday, 26 October 2026, and were also handed six-year driving bans. They will be required to pass an extended driving test before being allowed back on the roads.
The fatal collision happened shortly after 8.30am, as Justyna and Lena were making their way to school.
Bhachu was driving his high-powered Audi TT along Scott Hall Road when he lost control of the vehicle, striking the mother and daughter before crashing into a wall at the Vertu Jaguar Leeds dealership.
Both Justyna and Lena died at the scene.
Bhachu was taken to hospital with injuries sustained in the collision and was subsequently arrested.
What initially appeared to be a single-vehicle collision became the focus of a wider investigation after police examined dashcam and CCTV footage provided by members of the public.
The evidence revealed that Bhachu had been racing a black BMW 135i driven by Riyat immediately before the crash.
The two men did not know each other but had begun competing in their high-powered vehicles along the busy dual carriageway.
Investigators also recovered footage from Bhachu’s own dashcam, which captured a conversation between the drivers while they were stopped at traffic lights.
During the exchange, Bhachu boasted that his Audi had 560 horsepower and claimed he had only been using a quarter of its throttle.
Moments later, his loss of control would have devastating consequences.
While Bhachu’s vehicle struck Justyna and Lena, investigators established that Riyat had been involved in the dangerous driving
immediately before the collision.
Despite witnessing the crash, Riyat did not stop to check on those involved and instead drove away.
He was arrested later that afternoon.
Bhachu admitted responsibility in June 2024, pleading guilty to causing both deaths by dangerous driving. He remained in custody while proceedings against Riyat continued.
Riyat denied his involvement but was convicted following a trial at Leeds Crown Court in August 2026.
Police said the extensive dashcam and CCTV evidence was crucial in establishing how both men had been driving in the moments leading up to the collision.
Detective Inspector Paul Conroy, of West Yorkshire Police’s Major Collision Enquiry Team, described the collision as one that had deeply affected even experienced investigators.
“This was an absolutely horrifying collision that I know even shocked experienced collision investigators,” he said.
“An innocent mother and daughter who were simply making their way to school never made it there and tragically never made it home because of the selfish, reckless actions of these two men.”
He said the drivers had been showing off their vehicles despite having no previous connection to each other.
“Bhachu and Riyat didn’t know each other. They were two men showing off their fast cars on a busy dual carriageway.”
DI Conroy said the case demonstrated the devastating consequences of dangerous driving.
“Ultimately, Bhachu thought he could drive at those speeds in his high-powered car, but he couldn’t, and his loss of control took two lives and ruined many more.”
He also criticised Riyat’s actions following the collision.
“Riyat witnessed this collision but instead of stopping to check if those involved were okay, he left the scene. He denied his involvement but was convicted thanks to the extensive footage showing his speeding vehicle in the moments leading up to the collision.”
Police thanked members of the public who supplied footage that helped investigators establish the circumstances of the crash and secure the convictions.
Following the sentencing on 26 October, DI Conroy acknowledged the prolonged suffering experienced by Justyna and Lena’s family.
“A woman and her young daughter have died because of the actions of these men, and I know no sentence will ever feel enough to compensate for the lives that have been lost,” he said.
“This sentencing hearing though does mark the end of a long criminal justice process for Justyna and Lena’s family.”
He recognised the emotional toll of the lengthy legal proceedings, particularly the period between Bhachu’s guilty plea in June 2024 and the final sentencing.
“It is over two years since Bhachu admitted his part in this tragic incident and I know that the wait for justice has taken its toll. My thoughts are firmly with them today.”
The case has also prompted police to urge motorists to reflect on the risks of excessive speed and reckless driving.
West Yorkshire Police released footage of the moments leading up to the collision in the hope that it would encourage drivers to consider the consequences of their actions.
For Justyna and Lena’s family, the sentencing marks the conclusion of a lengthy legal process, but it cannot undo the loss of a mother and her young daughter whose ordinary morning journey ended in tragedy.
