Food delivery driver who asked pal to film him 'drifting' jailed for killing student, 21

From the Newshound archive · first published 19 September 2026 · last updated 20 September 2026.

Saleh Mahmoud Taha Hassan, 20, had held his driving licence for under two months and was uninsured when he put his Toyota Corolla into repeated drifts and skids on Sutton Coldfield's ring road. He then told his passenger to film him before losing control and striking Natasha Thorp and her best friend Cerys Cartwright, who were walking arm-in-arm after a night out on 22 August last year. Natasha died from unsurvivable blunt force head trauma; Cerys suffered a broken foot and serious injuries.

Natasha's family described her as 'one in a million'; the two friends had just left a pub on what Cerys called a 'perfect' night out.

Hassan had been recorded at 46mph in a 30mph zone and went around a roundabout several times before losing control — yet he drove away rather than stopping.

A witness punched Hassan repeatedly at the scene before police arrived; he had admitted causing death by dangerous driving and driving while uninsured.