An elderly Imam was found guilty of causing death by careless driving for running over and killing a man lying in the middle of the road. He informed the police that he believed the object was a bin bag.

Qari Tayyab Hazarvi Abassi, 72, was on his way to lead the early morning prayers at the Abubakr Mosque on Southall Broadway, when he struck Harvinder Singh, 49, on 4 May 2021.

Two pedestrians noticed Mr. Singh lying in the middle of Lady Margaret Road and attempted to redirect the vehicle around him.

However, when they attempted to alert Abassi, he disregarded their warnings, forcing them to leap out of the way before he drove over Mr. Singh.

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He drove on while uttering a series of offensive remarks in Urdu. He was arrested at his residence at 5 am and informed the police that he had run over a bin bag.

At 4:11 am that morning, Mr. Singh sided from his injuries, which included fractured ribs on his right side, damage to his liver, and abdominal haemorrhaging,

Mr. Singh had been discovered in the road, expressing a desire to end his life.

Abassi stated that he didn't stop when two men warned him of the hazard, believing them to be drunk. The Imam was traveling at 25mph in a 20mph zone when he struck Mr. Singh.

Despite his denial, Abassi was convicted of causing death by careless driving by an Old Bailey jury on Wednesday 10 January 2024.

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Judge Rebecca Poulet, KC, instructed a pre-sentence report to assess how Abassi's age would impact him in prison.

Testifying with the assistance of an Urdu interpreter, Abassi stated that he did not stop when he saw the men because he thought they were drunk.

Abassi, residing on Longboat Row in Southall, pleaded not guilty but was found guilty of causing death by careless driving.

The cleric was granted bail, and the sentencing date is yet to be determined.