A man who left a motorcyclist with serious injuries after performing a U-turn without indicating has avoided jail.
Sumon Ahmed, 31, appeared at Minshull Street Crown Court yesterday (September 16) after previously pleading guilty to causing serious injury by careless driving.
John Richards, prosecuting, told the court that on the evening of May 12 last year, the victim was riding his motorcycle on Oldham Road in Grotton in the direction of Oldham town centre.
The victim was behind Ahmed, of Wasdale Walk, Oldham, who decided to make a sudden U-turn without indicating and crashed into the victim head-on.
The victim, who attended the court in a wheelchair, was knocked off his motorbike and sent airborne, with Mr Richards saying that when he came to a stop he was "struggling to breathe" and felt an indescribable pain in his right leg.
He was taken to hospital where he was found to have suffered a broken tibia and fibula in his left leg, around a dozen rib fractures and fractures to his spine along with many other injuries.
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In a victim personal statement read by Mr Richards on behalf of the victim, he said that he constantly has flashbacks and dreams reliving the crash and being in hospital.
The victim said he is "terrified" every time he gets in a car and that he is receiving counselling.
Physically, the crash was said to have left the victim requiring assistance to perform even simple tasks and he still has a cage around his left leg.
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Defending Ahmed, Stuart Neale said the defendant felt "immense regret" over the incident and that he was "horrified" at how the event had played out.
Mr Neale said that the crash was caused by a "momentary lapse in judgement" by Ahmed, who had no previous convictions.
When passing sentence, Judge Neil Usher said to Ahmed: "[The victim] had no chance to avoid you and the consequences for him, as you know, have been absolutely catastrophic.
"All of this terrible pain and trauma is because you weren't thinking."
Judge Usher handed Ahmed a prison sentence of 14 weeks, suspended for six months, and he must observe a curfew between 7pm and 7am during the six months.
Ahmed was also disqualified from driving for two years and must take an extended retest before he can hold a licence again.
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