Father and son, from Newmarket and Carton Colville near Lowestoft, jailed for 14 years after fatal crash on A143 in Norfolk

A Suffolk father and son have been jailed for a total of 14 years following a fatal collision in Norfolk last year.

Marcin Jablonski, 44, of Mutfordwood Lane, in Carlton Colville near Lowestoft, and his son Thomaz Urbaniak, 26, of All Saints Road, in Newmarket ,appeared at Norwich Crown Court today, following a fatal collision on the A143 in Earsham in August.

Jablonski was jailed for 11 years and disqualified from driving for 13 years. He also received a 12-month custodial sentence for a previous offence - unconnected to this incident - for which he originally received a suspended sentence.

He pleaded guilty to charges at a hearing in September including causing death by dangerous driving, causing death while driving with no insurance, causing death while driving disqualified, aggravated vehicle taking and criminal damage.

Urbaniak, who had pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking and burglary at a hearing in January this year, was jailed for two years and disqualified from driving for two years.

The court heard how a stolen Land Rover Defender – driven by Jablonski – had failed to stop for police earlier in the day and was being pursued by police and the National Police Air Service helicopter along the A143 before the fatal collision.

Heading towards Bungay, Jablonski lost control of the Land Rover and crashed into a Nissan Juke car travelling in the opposite direction, near Old Harleston Road in Earsham.

The female driver of the Nissan Juke – later named as 28-year-old Aisatou Mballow-Baldeh – died at the scene.

Analysis of Jablonski’s urine showed he was at least twice the legal drink drive limit.

During the investigation, detectives discovered the keys to the Land Rover Defender had been stolen during a burglary at a flooring business in Newmarket in the early hours of August 11, together with jewellery, handbags, alcohol, and a computer terminal.

The pair were believed to have returned to the burglary scene with the stolen Land Rover Defender keys sometime on August 13 with the intention of stealing the vehicle. Once they had the vehicle, they travelled along the A143.

Det Insp David McCormack of Norfolk Police, who led the investigation, said: “It’s impossible to put into words the truly awful impact of this tragedy, and our thoughts remain with Mrs Mballow-Baldeh’s husband, family, and friends.

“Jablonski and Urbaniak’s decision to drive on that day, drive a stolen vehicle and drive so recklessly without a second thought for anyone else who happened to be on that road at the same time, just going about their day-to-day business, is heartbreaking. They had every opportunity to stop and they chose not to, and that decision had devastating consequences and caused terrible suffering that was wholly avoidable.”

The incident was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, as is standard procedure. The IOPC is conducting an independent investigation into the incident.