Tommy-John Mustafa, a 25-year-old engineer from Aspley, Nottingham, has been sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison after a high-speed crash that left three teenagers seriously injured. The incident occurred on Derby Road at approximately 4.20am on 22 June 2025, when Mustafa, driving a modified Toyota GT86, lost control and struck the victims. He was estimated to be double the drink-drive limit at the time of impact.
Crash Details and Immediate Aftermath
Nottingham Crown Court heard that Mustafa was travelling at more than 90mph along Derby Road when he failed to negotiate a corner, struck a kerb, and smashed into the youngsters. Prosecuting barrister Denney Lau stated that calculations indicated Mustafa was travelling at 93mph before momentarily reducing his speed, clipping the kerb, and striking the young men. The collision happened on the stretch of road between the Queen's Medical Centre and Priory Island.
Two of the victims were riding Lime bikes, while the third was on foot on the pavement. One victim described seeing a black car travelling towards them at high speed, saying: "I noted the headlights coming towards me, it looked like it was trying to drift as it wasn't straight on." He heard a loud bang and was knocked to the floor.
After the crash, Mustafa and a second man were seen on dashcam footage from a vehicle that arrived post-collision, going in and out of their cars, placing something over a wall, and then running from the scene through university grounds. They were picked up by a taxi.
Victim Impact and Further Offences
The victims suffered severe injuries. One sustained broken bones, another required a toe amputation, and the third was so traumatised that he considered taking his own life. In victim impact statements, one young man described how he was meant to embark on his first overseas holiday with a mate just weeks after the crash, but his injuries prevented him from going. Another revealed he relocated from Nottingham, where all his mates lived, and considered ending his own life. The third said: "I had just finished my A-levels and was looking forward to going to university. That was supposed to be the best summer of my life until the crash."
Mustafa also committed additional offences, including racing through Nottingham at 90mph and travelling at 130mph along a motorway in Kent while using his mobile phone.
Sentencing and Judge's Remarks
Judge Stuart Rafferty KC sentenced Mustafa to six-and-a-half years imprisonment and banned him from driving for seven years and nine months. The judge said: "You did not think about anything other than you and your thrill-seeking and showing off every time you got into your car. You prostituted your engineering skills to make that vehicle as high-speed and dangerous as it was possible to do. You rejoiced in showing off in it and what you did on that evening was to drive it as fast and as recklessly as you could at every opportunity. What happened (after the crash)? You got out and walked away without a single scratch and then told a lie to the police saying 'somebody has stolen my car'. Just about as low as you can sink? Each of those young men that you injured will never be the same person as they once were again. Each of them will be scarred for life both physically and emotionally, each of them will never forget that night."
Mustafa, of Lindfield Road, admitted charges including three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, one count of perverting the course of justice, and multiple counts of dangerous driving in Nottingham and on the M20 near Folkestone, Kent.
Glenn Harris, mitigating, explained that Mustafa works as a maintenance engineer in Ilkeston, a position he will forfeit because of this conviction. He said: "He did everything he could to make things worse for himself, leaving the scene and making up a cock and bull story, but thereafter he's done everything he can, selling his car and stopping driving. He lives with his mum and dad and cares for his father and he has let down his daughter who he sees three times a week. He cannot take away what happened and in his letter he says he is truly sorry for what happened to the victims and he hopes in time they can forgive him."
