Indian-origin man jailed for sex act in BMW while driving

Image
Press Trust of India London
Last Updated : Aug 28 2015 | 10:07 PM IST
A 36-year-old Indian-origin man has been jailed for seven years for causing the death of his girlfriend when he engaged in a sex act with her behind the wheel in his BMW.
Minesh Parbat was driving at 60mph when he crashed in West Sussex in March last year.
His girlfriend and mother-of-two, Lisa Watling, was thrown from the car and the 28-year-old died later in hospital from her injuries.
In the aftermath of the collision, Parbat was discovered by members of the public with his trousers and underwear around his ankles.
Watling was found seriously injured in just a T-shirt and bra.
Jailing him at Lewes Crown Court in south east England, Judge Peter Griffiths said: "I'm satisfied that the cause of the accident in which Lisa died was your decision to continue to drive your motor vehicle at a speed approaching but not exceeding 70mph while engaged in some form of sexual activity with your trousers partially down.
"I make it clear that the blame for this tragic accident is entirely yours."
During the trial, Parbat denied anything sexual had taken place as he drove, adding that he had instead struggled to get Watling off him before crashing.
Parbat later added: "It's got sexual tones, but it wasn't sexual because nothing happened."
He suffered facial injuries in the crash and gave a positive blood test which showed 102 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, the drink-drive limit in Britain being 80 milligrams.
In a statement, Watling's family said: "Our lives have been ripped apart, leaving a wound that will never fully heal. However, the two real victims are Lisa's children.
"They will never have that soft comforting voice they know and love whisper goodnight, safe in the knowledge that when they wake up in the morning she'll be there to greet them.
"As a family we feel relief that some kind of justice has been seen. It feels like a very small step towards gaining a degree of closure.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Aug 28 2015 | 10:07 PM IST

Next Story