Driver jailed for one-punch road rage killing in Oldbury
Arslan Farooq admitted manslaughter after killing Simon West with one punch last December.
Last updated 4th Aug 2023
A driver has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison for killing a man with one punch in a road rage attack in Oldbury.
Arslan Farooq, aged 25, had confronted 51-year-old Simon West on the A4123 Wolverhampton Road in December 2022, after forcing him to pull over.
Witness statements showed that Farooq punched Mr West once, sending him to floor, before getting back in his Vauxhall Astra and driving away.
Mr West was taken to hospital with serious head injuries and police traced Farooq, who claimed in police interview on December 11, that he had been 'cut-up' by Mr West.
But CCTV showed that Farooq was behind Mr West's black Peugeot van as they went through traffic lights at the junction of Pool Road and Causeway Green Road.
Both vehicles then turned right onto Wolverhampton Road, a dual carriageway, and Farooq overtook Mr West, but slowed as he went past, so both cars were travelling alongside each other.
The court heard Farooq then swerved aggressively into the inside lane just ahead of Mr West, before quickly pulling back into the outside lane.
He then moved back into the inside lane and as Mr West moved to go past in the outside lane, Farooq pulled out across in front of him, forcing him to stop.
Today Farooq, of Gipsey Lane, Birmingham, was jailed for a total of eight years and three months. He was also banned from driving for 12 months after release.
Det Insp Ranj Sangha, from our Homicide Team said: "Actions like these have no place on our roads and it is truly tragic that such an incident resulted in a man's life being lost.
"But we have been able to establish exactly what happened and bring the person responsible for such a devastating consequences before the courts.
"We can only hope that with this jailing, Mr West's family can find some peace."
Emily Clewer of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said: “Arslan Farooq behaved highly aggressively and dangerously and there is no justification for his behaviour. His actions have devastated Mr West’s family and our thoughts are with them at this time.
"I hope this case serves as a reminder of the dangers of road rage and how those who behave in ways that endanger others can expect to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”