30 April 2024 , 07:00
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A drink driver who killed a dad out walking when he was doing nearly 80mph in a 20mph zone called his victim a “f***ing d**khead in police interviews.
Tarnjeet Multani, 21, had been drinking whiskey and cokes before hitting father-of-nine Kishore Kumar Gill, 59, on 15 February 2022. He had been travelling between 58 and 78mph at the time of the tragedy.
Mr Gill was crossing a road in Ealing at 5.30am dressed in a hi-vis jacket and trousers on his way to work and was hit by Multani's speeding Golf. Mr Gill was pronounced dead at the scene at 5:40am and when told the victim had died he called him an obscene name.
Multani admitted causing death by careless driving when over the prescribed limit for alcohol. He denied but was convicted of the more serious offence of causing death by dangerous driving by an Old Bailey jury.
Tarnjeet Multani, 21, was jailed for nine yearsVictim impact statements from Mr Gill's family were read to the court before Multani was sentenced. Kashore Ballard-Kumar, Mr Gill's daughter said: “The loss of my father has caused so much pain. I had to have counselling, and I had to leave my job because I was unable to commit to it.
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“My father supported me, guided me and financially helped me. I can't believe someone would be so thoughtless as to get into a car drunk and take someone's life. Things will never be the same.”
He continued driving after hitting Mr Gill for a further 280 metres before attempting to do a U-turn when blocked in by another vehicle. Twenty minutes later, he was stopped by the police when walking down the street, with the officer smelling alcohol on his breath.
Further tests where he was found to be 20mg over the legal blood alcohol limit. Multani was jailed for nine years and he was disqualified from driving for 12 years.
He had been drinking whiskey and cokes at 3pm the previous afternoon and carried on his booze binge until 2am. He was probably at least twice the legal limit at the time of the crash.
Giving evidence Multani said he was in a state of shock following the incident and did not know what he was saying. He claimed he was referring to Mr Croxford when he used the phrase 'f***ing d**khead' while talking to police.
Asked by police why he only stopped so far away from hitting Mr Gill, he said the car 'just kept rolling'.
Multani also said he thought he was under the limit despite sharing a bottle of whiskey with friends just a few hours before the collision. He said he did not think his driving was affected by alcohol at all.
Sentencing Multani, Judge Richard Marks, KC, the Common Serjeant of London, said: 'Mr Gill had nine children. All of his family understandably heartbroken and distraught at the untimely death of someone who was a much loved and respected head of a tight-knit family.'
“No sentence I impose can un-do their grief or alleviate their pain.There were a number of signs on the road that meant that it could not have been clearer that the limit was 20.
“The fact you were driving at all given you had been drinking coupled with the speed at which you drove was an act of extreme irresponsibility and selfishness.”
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