Ivan Girga: Killer driver with 25 points kept licence Published duration 20 September 2019

image copyright Facebook/Ivan Girga image caption Ivan Girga was jailed for nine years after admitting causing death by dangerous driving

A man who killed another motorist in a crash was free to drive despite having 25 points on his licence.

Ivan Girga crashed into Ghusanfar Illyas's car in Manchester in June, the city's crown court was told.

The 27-year-old, of Bolton, admitted causing death by dangerous driving and five counts of causing serious injury and was jailed for nine years.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said "human error and process issues" were to blame for Girga not being banned.

"An urgent investigation was carried out as soon as the issue came to light," a spokesman added.

Drivers who incur 12 points within three years usually face a minimum driving ban of six months.

Mr Illyas's father Mohammed said: "The sentence is very lenient. He got away with it.

"In four and a half years he will come back, my son will never come back."

image copyright Reach PLC image caption Ivan Girga's VW Golf crashed into Mr Illyas's car on Crescent Road in Crumpsall

Girga's VW Golf had been travelling at 72mph in a 30mph zone on Crescent Road in Crumpsall before the crash, the Manchester Evening News reported

Mr Illyas's father had been performing a "perfectly legal" U-turn in the car before Girga, who had been aggressively overtaking vehicles, smashed into them, the court heard.

Mr Illyas, 42, later died in hospital and seven other family members travelling in the Vauxhall Zafira were injured.

Girga should have been banned from driving under the "totting up" scheme, which saw him accumulate 25 points for a range of offences.

But the MoJ said a chain of administrative and communication errors meant Girga had been able to stay on the road.

A national review of the procedures involved is now under way.

image copyright Greater Manchester Police image caption Girga had been travelling at 72mph in a 30mph zone before the crash

A spokesman for HM Courts and Tribunals Service, which operates under the MoJ, said: "An urgent investigation was carried out as soon as the issue came to light, which found a combination of human error and process issues for which we apologise.

"Immediate action has been taken to prevent this from happening again, including appropriate disciplinary action, improved training and support for new staff, improved guidance around the use of IT systems and ensuring potential driver disqualification cases are listed in court urgently."

In a court hearing held in July after the crash, Girga accepted he should have been banned previously and was disqualified for 12 months.

As well as driving sanctions, the court heard he had 20 previous convictions for 36 other offences, including dishonesty and breaches of court orders.