Britain's first Muslim peer faces court over death crash

London, Nov 19 : Britain's first Muslim peer, Lord Ahmed of Rotherham, is to be prosecuted for dangerous driving after someone allegedly sent a text message from his mobile phone shortly before a fatal motorway crash.

Lord Ahmed, 51, was driving his Jaguar X-type on the M1 last Christmas Day when it hit an Audi A4 that had crashed into the central reservation and stopped in the outside lane.

The driver of the other car, Martyn Gombar, 28, was killed instantly, The Times reported.

South Yorkshire Police confirmed on Tuesday that Lord Ahmed is to be summoned to appear in court in connection with dangerous driving. The maximum sentence for that offence is two years.

The police investigation has centred on reports that someone in the car used Lord Ahmed's mobile telephone to send a text message to a journalist shortly before the crash. It is claimed that the message was sent from his car about three minutes before the same telephone was used to call 999.

Lord Ahmed said that he had not been informed of the decision to prosecute him and refused to comment on claims that he might have sent a text message shortly before the accident.

The Pakistani-born politician suffered cuts and bruises in the accident. His wife, Sakina, 49, and his mother, Rashim, sustained minor injuries, the Paper said.

Lord Ahmed was appointed to the House of Lords in 1998 as the first Muslim peer of modern times.

The father of three has become one of the most prominent Islamic politicians in Britain and played a role in easing tensions between communities after the 2005 terror attacks on London.

ANI