A taxi driver who deliberately drove at a family during a road rage incident in Newcastle has been jailed for nine years.
Hasan Mohammed, 26, struck a grandfather and narrowly missed several others, including a woman carrying a one-year-old child, following an incident in September 2025.
Newcastle Crown Court heard the family had just left a restaurant after a weekly meal when Mohammed drove past at speed.
One member of the group threw a lollipop at his vehicle in an attempt to slow him down, the court was told.
The sweet struck the taxi, prompting Mohammed to turn his vehicle around and accelerate towards the group.
Prosecutors said he reached speeds of around 33mph before driving directly at the family, using the vehicle as a “highly dangerous weapon”.
The grandfather suffered multiple broken bones and required a prosthetic shoulder, leaving him with life-changing injuries.
In a victim impact statement, he told the court he had no time to react and continues to live with the consequences of the attack.
“This was not an accident, it was a deliberate decision,” he said.
His daughter described the incident as turning a normal family outing into a “nightmare”, adding that their lives had been permanently changed.
Another family member told the court a moment of “blind rage” had led to lifelong consequences.
Mohammed admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving but was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and attempted wounding.
Judge Edward Bindloss said the incident was a “short-lived road rage” episode that had a “terrible effect on so many”.
Mohammed was also banned from driving for 12 and a half years and must pass an extended test before returning to the road.