A mum whose son was killed in a hit-and-run crash involving a serving Bradford councillor is furious after learning that he has applied for early release from jail.

Intkhab Alam, 32, who was imprisoned for two years and four months last March, is bidding for freedom on the condition he will be under a curfew and electronically monitored.

The father-of-five, of Sandford Road, Barkerend, was driving his minicab when it struck and killed Christopher Benson, 20, as he crossed the A650 in Morley on May 8, 2005.

Alam tried to evade arrest but eventually admitted charges of failing to stop after an accident, failing to report an accident and perverting the course of justice.

Christopher's mother, Lynette Twitchett, 45, said: "Not only am I absolutely furious, but I feel it is a downright insult to my son's memory. He was my only child, he was only 20 and Alam has taken his life.

"It does not get any more serious than that and yet he will have hardly spent any time in prison at all."

Mrs Twitchett said she had only learned of Alam's bid when she was visited for the first time by a victim services officer of the West Yorkshire Probation Service this week.

She said: "They have not bothered to get in touch with me until Alam wanted to get early release."

West Yorkshire Probation Service said it usually kept in contact with victims in cases where the offender had committed a violent or sexual offence and received a prison sentence of 12 months or more. A spokesman said: "This particular offender was not convicted of a trigger' offence.

"However, the offender manager decided to ask the Victims' Services Unit to make contact with the victim when decisions around release were being made, in recognition of the fact that irrespective of the nature of the offence for which the offender was convicted, a death had been caused."

Sentencing Alam at Leeds Crown Court, Judge James Stewart QC said he had been astonished that the CPS had not charged him with causing death by dangerous driving.

Alam's solicitor Abdul Iftikhar confirmed that Alam, who was disqualified as a councillor when he was jailed, had applied for early release. He said: "The probation service in conjunction with the victim liaison unit is in the process of preparing and submitting their report."

e-mail: james.rush@bradford.newsquest.co.uk

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