A drug driver who killed his friend after crashing into a tree while speeding high on cocaine has seen an application to reconsider his sentence fail.

An application under the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme had been made in relation to the four years and three months sentence handed to Mohammed Waqas in June.

Waqas, of Rhoda Street, Nelson, had admitted causing the death of Irslaan Nowkhaiz by careless driving in a crash on September 29, 2021.

While high on cocaine and cannabis, Waqas was driving his Audi A4 along the M65 at 80mph in heavy rain in the early hours of the morning.

While driving between Junctions 11 and 12 near Brierfield the car hit a puddle of standing water and aquaplaned, before hitting a tree and landing on its roof.

Neither man was wearing a seatbelt, with Mr Nowkhaiz dying from head injuries sustained in the crash.

Waqas was nine times over the limit for a breakdown product of cocaine and also should not have been driving due to a pre-existing medical condition.

One or more members of the public made an application to the Attorney General’s Office, asking it to examine Waqas’ jail term under the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme.

Under the scheme, if the Attorney General’s Office deem the sentence may be too low, they can send the case to the Court of Appeal, the highest court in the land,

At the Court of Appeal, a panel of judges will either hear the case and agree a sentence is too low and extend it, deem the sentence to be just and leave it as it is, or can even refuse to hear the case and throw it out.

In the case of Waqas, the Attorney General’s Office opted not to refer the case to the Court of Appeal, deeming the sentence not to be potentially unduly lenient.

It means his four year, three month sentence will remain as it is. Waqas was also disqualified from driving for more than five years.

After the sentencing, PC Kate Brady from Lancashire Police said: “As a result of Waqas’ reckless behaviour, his friend lost his life on that tragic night.

"We take offences of this nature extremely seriously and hope this jail sentence will deter others from committing such terrible offences.”