A ‘dangerous’ driver who ended one young life and

A ‘dangerous’ driver who ended one young life and ruined
another is now facing a jail term.

Michael Lia, 21, ignored TEN safety signs on his way home
from a party before losing control and ploughing into an on-
coming car, the Old Bailey heard.

Passengers Isaac Adoko, 21, and Peter Ogwal, 20, were hurled
from his speeding Nissan Sunny as it was flipped a full 360 degrees
by the force of the smash.

Mr Adoko, of Kingston, died from his injuries.

Mr Ogwal
survived but was left paralysed after suffering a broken neck.

Lia, a Ugandan seeking political asylum in Britain, denied
causing the death of Mr Adoko by dangerous driving but was
unanimously convicted by the Old Bailey jury.

Judge Richard Hawkins QC adjourned sentence on Lia, a student
of Minster Road, West Hampstead, for reports but warned him not
to expect to avoid a prison term.

The court was told the accident happened in the early hours
of October 4 last year at a notorious accident black spot on
West Hill on the A3 in Putney.

Lia was in the middle of a convoy of three cars on their way
home from a party in New Malden when the road converged from a
three lane dual carriageway to one lane each way.

He was driving ‘much too fast’ and sped past 10 roadsigns
warning drivers of the convergence, said Mr Nicholas Lorraine-
Smith, prosecuting.

Lia suddenly found himself unable to avoid hitting the car in
front and overtook at up to double the 30mph speed limit before
losing control.

The Nissan swerved wildly from one side of the two-lane road
to the other before smashing into the front of an on-coming car
and flipping over in the air.

The car landed back on its wheels but the two rear seat
passengers were hurled out by the force of the smash, the court
heard.

Lia denied causing death by dangerous driving, claiming he
lost control because a car in front suddenly pulled out in front
of him without warning.

Despite telling the police he was driving at ’50 to 60 mph’
he told the jury he had been confused and was really going at
38 to 40 mph.

Lia, who had never been in trouble with the law before,
showed no reaction as the jury rejected his story and convicted
him of the charge.

Sentence was adjourned until April 2.

ENDS