Kamran Khaliq, a 45-year-old father of five from Perry Barr, has been jailed for four years and 11 months after paying £590 for a suspected drunken hit-and-run driver to flee to Pakistan following a fatal crash in Small Heath in November 2022. Police believe Shazad Hussain caused the death of 45-year-old Philip Dale by dangerous driving before Khaliq helped him escape justice.
The fatal crash and immediate aftermath
Philip Dale was crossing Heybarnes Road at about 11pm on November 1, 2022 when he was struck and killed by a Volkswagen Golf driven by Hussain. Evidence suggested Hussain was speeding and under the influence of alcohol. He did not stop at the scene but abandoned the car nearby, discarding a bottle of Malibu from the vehicle as he staggered away, according to CCTV footage.
Within hours of the crash, Hussain and Khaliq exchanged nearly 80 phone calls. Khaliq then contacted City Express Travel in Alum Rock and arranged and paid £590 for Hussain to fly from Birmingham Airport to Islamabad via Dubai on November 3, 2022.
Khaliq's attempts to cover up his involvement
The day after Hussain fled, Khaliq called police and falsely reported that his car was missing. He pretended not to know Hussain had been involved in a collision. He maintained the lie for months, including during a police interview in February 2023, when he claimed Hussain had gone to Pakistan to visit a sick family member. Khaliq finally pleaded guilty to assisting an offender weeks before his trial, but later tried to vacate his plea; the court rejected his application.
Khaliq has two previous convictions for perverting the course of justice.
Sentencing and impact on the victim's family
At Birmingham Crown Court on Friday, June 26, Judge George Lubega sentenced Khaliq to four years and 11 months in prison, rejecting a bid for a suspended sentence. The judge said: "As a result of your actions he (Hussain) has fled the country and will probably never face trial. Mr Hussain was able to evade justice as a result of your actions. I don't accept you are remorseful in any way for what you have done."
Philip Dale's brother Dominic described him as a 'vibrant' person. In a statement he said: "His life mattered. His loss was not just a moment in time it continues to affect us every single day. It wasn't just an accident it was a huge event that caused lasting ongoing harm. Nothing can bring him back but we want his life and the impact of his life to be recognised."
Shazad Hussain remains on the run. The judge said it was likely he would never face justice.
