Sobia Aftar has been jailed for 20 months after admitting causing death by careless driving
A businessman’s wife who mowed down and killed a 10-year-old girl then tried to flee to Saudi Arabia has today been jailed for 20 months.
Sobia Aftar accelerated in her Range Rover Evoke and mounted the kerb, ploughing into talented gymnast Marianne Haboc in Rochdale on October 1, 2018.
Marianne was about to cross the road to meet her father, who was waiting to walk her home from school.
Mother-of-four Aftar told police she had been rushing because she ‘only had an hour to pick up her children from school, buy a birthday card then take her daughter to a party.’
Just two weeks after the tragedy, the 33-year-old was detained at Manchester Airport as she tried to board a plane to Jeddah in Saudia Arabia with her husband, four children and ten suitcases packed with large amounts of medication, clothing for all seasons, electrical appliances, and games consoles.
Marianne’s parents later claimed they had been ‘intimidated’ by friends of Aftar’s husband, which has stopped them from being able to grieve.
Marianne’s father told the court his daughter was his ‘best friend’ and ‘miracle’ child because he and his wife had been unable to have more children.
He said the 10-year-old had won a national gymnastics competition and would go to school early to help out younger pupils.
Aftar, from Rochdale, admitted causing death by careless driving after her not guilty plea to death by dangerous driving was accepted.
Marianne Haboc, 10, was knocked down and killed by Sobia Aftar. Marianne had been walking to meet her father after school
Raj Hussain (husband of Sobia Aftar) leaving Manchester Minshull Stret Crown Court after his wife was jailed for causing death by careless driving
Year 6 pupil Marianne was a talented member of Rochdale Olympic Gymnastics Club
Year 6 pupil Marianne, a member of Rochdale Olympic Gymnastics Club who had been looking forward to starting secondary school, had been walking home with three school friends.
Prosecutor Mark Rhind told the court: ‘Children were encouraged to begin to start walking alone instead of having parents to pick them up to gain confidence.
‘Her father, William, was waiting for Marianne on another road close by. As Marianne and her friends walked towards the junction, Marianne was one step ahead of the other three girls.
‘They were not running or messing around, they were simply walking along at a normal speed and speaking to each other and she had been in the view of of Mrs Aftar.
‘As Marianne walked along the pavement and went to cross the road Aftar moved her car forward whilst on the kerb and drove into her. It was then seen to accelerate before turning right.
‘It’s most likely and mercifully for Marianne that she had been knocked unconscious immediately and died shortly afterwards. Nothing could have been done to save her.’
Police got a tip off Aftar might be fleeing the UK on October 18 when they heard her husband was disposing of assets, the court heard.
A travel itinerary showed she and her family were flying to Jeddah then onto Madinah and a second flight was booked to Islamabad.
A return journey did not appear to have been booked the primary school had not been notified of any absence for the younger children.
The family later claimed they had planning a pilgrimage in Mecca and had booked an ‘open return’ ticket.
In a victim impact statement Marianne’s father told the court how he found paramedics desperately trying to save his daughter’s life.
He said ‘no father should have to see his daughter in that condition’ and he still suffers flashbacks.
He also detailed how he and his wife had been ‘intimated’ by the Aftar family and groups of their friends.
He added: ‘We were also informed that Sobia Aftar tried to leave the country and escape justice for what she had done. We felt she showed no remorse, no understanding and no responsibility for what she has done.
‘Marianne was our best friend and we always wanted to have more children but we were unable to do so. We considered Marianne a miracle and she talked about having a family of her own and buying a big house and we would move in with her.’
Marianne, an only child after her parents were left unable to have any more children, would go into school early to help younger pupils
Floral tributes on the scene near St Patricks RC Primary School in Rochdale, Greater Manchester
In mitigation defence lawyer Michael Hayton QC said Aftar’s husband had been married previously and had lost his wife and three young children in a fire at his family home.
He said was inexperienced with driving and had accelerated just as Marianne was about to step off the kerb.
Judge Maurice Greene told Aftar: ‘You should have seen the child walking and you made a serious error of Judgement in pressing the accelerator instead of the brake.
‘This case is a tragedy for all concerned but not least for the family of Marianne Haboc.
‘Nobody can imagine what the loss of a child means.
‘Whatever this court does, it cannot assuage the grief Marianne’s family feels in this case.’
Aftar was also banned from driving for two years and four months at Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester.