9:21 am, December 3, 2025
A woman has avoided jail after accidentally driving into a customer at a car showroom, in an incident that resulted in the victim having her leg amputated.
Hayat Ibrhim, 36, was looking for a potential new car at Lookers’ Chester site when she lost control and ploughed into fellow shopper, Karen Smaali.
The victim suffered head injuries in the collision and later awoke in hospital to learn that she had also lost one of her legs.
Ibrhim, of St Domingo Vale in Liverpool, admitted to causing injury by careless/inconsiderate driving at Chester Magistrates’ Court in October, and she has now returned to the dock to be sentenced.
The court heard that both women were visiting the Chester site on March 13 to view potential new cars.
Prosecutor Lisa McGuire added that the defendant had been ‘struggling to move the car’ and called for help from staff.
After being shown how to get the vehicle moving, Ibrahim accelerated too quickly and ploughed into Smaali, a few metres ahead.
During last week’s sentencing hearing, a victim impact statement was read out, in which Smaali described the moment she awoke in hospital to find out her leg had been amputated. McGuire said that the victim ‘wished she had died as she did not want to be a burden’.
In mitigation, Ibrhim’s barrister, Oliver Jarvis said that his client was full of remorse for the incident.
‘She repeatedly asked after the victim, takes responsibility for her and makes no attempt to excuse what happened,’ he told the court.
‘She is a good character, a volunteer and uses her time to assist others and cannot be more outstanding in that regard.’
It was also heard that the defendant has sent the victim a letter of apology, the Leader reports.
After hearing all the evidence, Deputy District Judge Owen Jones dished out a 26-week jail term, suspended for two years.
Ibrhim was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and banned from driving from two years.
Financially, she was told to pay costs of £85 and a surcharge of £154, with compensation deferred to any future civil court matters.
Dishing out the sentence, DDJ Jones said: ‘This was a brief incident with catastrophic consequences resulting in life-changing injuries.
‘None of us here can be failed to be struck by the dignified way the victim gave her statement in person.
‘In my view this crosses the custody threshold of one year, but you have strong mitigating factors.
‘I have to consider whether this can be suspended. I’ve the read the report, the number of personal testimonials and your own letter to the victim.
‘There is a strong chance of rehabilitation and I take into account the devastating impact an immediate custodial sentence would have on your family and seven children.’
