MOTHER, 27, AND HER FOUR-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER KILLED ON WALK TO NURSERY AS TWO STREET RACERS ARE JAILED

Justyna Hulboj and little Lena Czepczor were walking along a pavement in Leeds when a speeding Audi mounted the kerb and struck them. Now, the two drivers involved in the fatal race have been sentenced to a combined 28 years in prison.

LEEDS, ENGLAND — A young mother and her four-year-old daughter lost their lives in a devastating collision after two drivers raced through the streets of Leeds, turning an ordinary walk to nursery into an unimaginable tragedy.

Justyna Hulboj, 27, and her daughter, Lena Czepczor, were walking along Scott Hall Road on the morning of January 16, 2023, when a speeding Audi TT lost control, mounted the pavement and struck them.

The mother and child were killed, leaving their family devastated and raising painful questions about the consequences of reckless driving.

More than three years after the tragedy, the two men involved in the incident have finally been sentenced, bringing a significant development in a case that has deeply affected the victims’ loved ones.

A MORNING WALK THAT ENDED IN TRAGEDY

For Justyna and Lena, the journey should have been an ordinary part of family life — a mother taking her young daughter to nursery.

Instead, their lives were cut short in a collision that investigators linked to a dangerous race between two cars.

Hardeep Bhachu, 29, was driving a white Audi TT at approximately 89mph in a 40mph speed-limit area shortly before the crash. The speed limit was due to reduce to 30mph further along the road.

Jasskamal Riyat, 37, was driving a black BMW 135i and was involved in the race.

The Audi driver lost control and struck Justyna and Lena on the pavement. Neither the mother nor her daughter survived.

Their deaths left a family facing a loss that no sentence could ever fully repair.

EVIDENCE REVEALED THE DANGEROUS RACE

Evidence presented during the legal proceedings included dashcam footage, CCTV and mobile phone video.

The material helped establish the circumstances surrounding the race and the moments leading up to the fatal collision.

Riyat denied racing but was convicted by a jury in August 2026. Bhachu had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving.

The proceedings highlighted the devastating consequences when drivers treat public roads as racetracks, putting pedestrians and other road users at risk.

DRIVERS JAILED FOR A COMBINED 28 YEARS

On October 26, 2026, the court sentenced both men for their roles in the deaths of Justyna and Lena.

Bhachu received 12 years in prison, while Riyat was sentenced to 16 years, bringing their combined prison terms to 28 years.

Both men were also disqualified from driving for six years and must pass an extended driving test before they can drive again.

During sentencing, Judge Ray Singh made clear that public roads were not racetracks.

The sentences marked a major milestone in the case, although they cannot undo the loss suffered by the family.

A FATHER LEFT TO FACE AN UNIMAGINABLE LOSS

Behind the courtroom proceedings is a father who lost both his young daughter and his partner.

In a victim impact statement, Justyna’s fiancé described the devastating effect their deaths had on his life, explaining how his world collapsed after losing the two people closest to him.

For him, the tragedy is not simply a case that has reached sentencing. It is the absence of a partner, the loss of a child and the future they had expected to share.

There will be no more ordinary walks together, no future birthdays celebrated as a family and no opportunity to watch Lena grow into the person she might have become.

Those are the losses that remain long after the courtroom has emptied.

JUSTICE CANNOT BRING THEM HOME

The sentencing brings the criminal proceedings to a significant point, but the grief left behind by the collision will continue for the people who loved Justyna and Lena.

Their story is a stark reminder that reckless driving can have consequences far beyond the people behind the wheel. A moment of dangerous behaviour can take innocent lives and permanently change the lives of those left behind.

Justyna was only 27. Lena was just four years old.

They had so much life ahead of them, and their family had every reason to expect many more years together.

Instead, a journey to nursery became the last journey they would ever take.

The two drivers will serve their sentences, but no punishment can restore the mother and daughter who never made it home.