Harrowing CCTV shows road rage driver tailgating grandfather before killing him with single punch
The 25-year-old Arslan Farooq admitted manslaughter and dangerous driving over the death of Simon West in Oldbury
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Harrowing footage shows a road rage driver tailgating a grandfather before killing him with a single punch.
Arslan Farooq, 25, attacked 51-year-old van driver Simon West, leaving him with a fatal head injury.
Mr West was rushed to hospital following the attack in Oldbury but died of his injuries just days before Christmas last year.
Farooq admitted manslaughter and dangerous driving and was jailed on Friday for eight years at Birmingham Crown Court.
CCTV released after his sentencing shows Farooq, of Erdington, pursuing Mr West after the van driver pulled out in front of him.
Farooq tailgated Mr West as the pair drove along Causeway Green Road and the A4123 Wolverhampton Road on 10 December last year.
He then moved from his lane towards the victim’s van, making an “aggressive” manoeuvre as he travelled in the parallel lane.
Farooq pulled across the front of Mr West’s van before both men got out of their vehicles. The assailant then punched the 51-year-old, leaving him unconscious.
After the attack, Farooq got back into his Vauxhall Astra and drove off, leaving Mr West with catastrophic injuries.
Mr West underwent hospital surgery for a head injury but died four days later on 14 December.
A post-mortem showed he died from a traumatic head injury.
In a tribute to Mr West, his family said: “Simon was a loving and caring father, brother, son, partner and recently grandfather.
“He was loved by everybody he met and will be deeply missed”
Farooq was arrested but claimed he reacted after Mr West had “cut him up” at the junction.
Detective Inspector Ranj Sangha, of West Midlands Police, said: “Actions like these have no place on our roads and it is truly tragic that such an incident resulted in a man’s life being lost.
“But we have been able to establish exactly what happened and bring the person responsible for such a devastating consequences before the courts.
“We can only hope that with this jailing, Mr West’s family can find some peace.”