Family who lost both parents within a year 'in shock' at verdict of dad's killer

25 January 2024 , 14:34

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Ella says the sentence of her dad's killer does not reflect the enormity of the loss (Image: Focus Features)

A woman who lost both her parents in the space of a year has told of her shock and confusion at the sentencing of her dad's killer - after his jail term was reduced twice.

Jonathan Langston, 52, was killed instantly when reckless driver Adeel Safdar, 28, drove into him while driving at excessive speeds in Chorlton, Manchester, last year. Safdar was driving at 93mph in a 30mph zone. Just a year prior, Mr Langston's wife Helene died from bowel cancer, aged 49. The couple left behind four children, and their funerals were held on the same date, a year apart.

Safdar pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and was sentenced to eight years in prison. In court, he was ordered to serve two-thirds of his sentence in jail, equating to around five years and four months.

Mr Langston's daughter, 21-year-old Ella said: "We were all in court, and we read statements, for Dad. But when the judge announced his sentencing, we couldn’t believe what we were hearing. It was so confusing. The sentence was reduced and reduced again, until he arrived at five years and four months in prison. We were in shock. It was such an anti-climax. Now it’s sinking in, I feel so angry. It absolutely does not reflect the enormity of the loss of my dad. The punishment is not fair. It is no deterrent to other dangerous drivers either."

Judge Nicholas Dean KC, the Honorary Recorder of Manchester, said he arrived at the eight-year-long sentence after finding the case was in the most serious category of the sentencing guidelines - which gave it a starting point of 14 years in prison if Safdar pursued the case to trial.

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Safdar's sentence was first reduced to 12 years for his remorse and ‘good character’, before it was reduced again by a third to reflect the fact he had pleaded guilty at the very start. Ella added: “I feel so angry about the sentence. It’s no punishment for taking away my dad’s life and it is certainly no deterrent to others. I cannot imagine how anyone can drive at more than three times the speed limit and not expect it to end in tragedy.”

Helene and Jonathan's funerals were held on the same day, a year apart (Focus Features)

Ella said she hopes her father's story may discourage others from speeding. She said: “When mum was having chemotherapy, she’d spend a lot of time in bed, and the speeding drivers outside kept her awake. She used to say they were driving far too fast. It’s a tragic irony that just one year after losing her, one of those speeding drivers killed our father too. We were heartbroken after losing Mum, but Dad really rallied round. He gave up smoking and he did all he could to help us through our grief. He was just starting to find a bit of happiness again when his life was so cruelly snatched away."

Ella, along with her three siblings, grew up in Chorlton where mum Helene worked as a primary school teacher, while Jonathan worked in IT and ran after school care. Ella said: “The after-school club at my sister’s school folded and so Dad stepped in to take it over. That was the sort of person he was, always full of ideas, ambition and energy. He was really sociable and had lots of friends. Mum loved her work as a teacher, she was involved in the local church and did a lot of volunteering. We had many happy holidays in France and my parents had hoped to move over there.”

Reckless driver Adeel Safdar was sentenced to eight years in prison (GMP)

Helene became ill with suspected Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) in 2019, but tests revealed she had stage four bowel cancer. The mum underwent chemotherapy treatment and surgery while the family rallied around to take care of her. Ella said: “We all had different roles, to help out. I did a lot of the cooking. Mum used to say she hated listening to drivers tearing up and down the roads near our home, she worried people would get hurt.”

Helene passed away aged 49 in March 2022. Her funeral was held at their local church, St John’s, on April 19, 2022. And a year after her Helene died, her dad was killed while crossing a road after enjoying drinks with friends in Chorlton. And when the crash took place, Ella was at university in Durham and was told the news by her brother, Paddy, now 18.

Jonathan, Helene, Paddy and Ella pictured on a family ski trip (Focus Features)

She said: “I was due to go home the next day for the Easter holidays, and I called Dad the night before and we were planning a Friday night curry. Instead I had to drive all the way back, through the early hours, knowing my dad was dead. My brother was on his own, aged 17, in the house. Our older sister, Georgia, came as quickly as she could too. We were all in shock. We could not believe we had lost both our parents, and in such appalling circumstances.

She continued: “Dad’s funeral was held exactly a year after Mum’s, April 19 2023, and at the same church. Dad’s death was entirely avoidable, which makes it very hard. The road where Dad died is a busy, residential area. It’s unthinkable that you would ever reach 90mph.

"If there were working speed cameras perhaps Safdar’s driving would have been picked up previously and Dad’s death might have been prevented. We have scattered Mum and Dad’s ashes at the place they loved in France and now we must somehow rebuild our lives without them. Georgia has returned to work, Paddy has started university.

"I’ve taken a year out of my studies, but I am determined to return next year. But it’s very hard, knowing Dad should be here with us. By sharing our story, we hope to encourage people to think twice about speeding unnecessarily in residential areas, so that other lives can be spared and tragedies such as ours can be avoided in the future."

Ann Cusack