A SPEEDING driver who killed a Bury grandmother and badly injured her sister has failed in his bid to get his licence back.

In June, 2011 Sajjad Anwar was jailed for three years and four months after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.

Divorcee Catherine Teeters, aged 58, died when her Vauxhall Corsa was hit in Bell Lane, Bury, in May, 2010 and her sister, Diane Baker, who was a passenger, was left with serious injuries.

Anwar, who worked for a car hire company, had collected the high powered Audi Quattro he was driving from a customer and was driving “irresponsibly and aggressively” when he overtook a queue of traffic at up to 70mph and ploughed into Mrs Teeters’ car.

Anwar, then aged 19, and a male passenger ran away following the crash, but the teenager later handed himself in to police.

In addition to the jail sentence, which was criticised for being too lenient by Mrs Teeters’ grieving family, Judge William Morris banned Anwar from holding a driving licence for seven years.

However, at Bolton Crown Court, Anwar, of Deeplish Street, Rochdale, who is now working for a car valeting firm, applied to have his driving ban lifted two years early.

Judge Timothy Stead heard how Anwar was released from jail in September, 2012 but was recalled to prison for a further 28 days in February, 2014 after he went on holiday to Morocco without notifying the probation service.

The court was told that while serving his time at Thorn Cross prison in Warrington, he undertook a victim awareness course and spent time on day release working at an MoT garage in Eccles.

Anwar, who is due to get married at the end of the year and whose partner is pregnant, told the judge he had struggled to find work since being freed from jail, but had managed to gain employment with Rochdale based car valeting company Optimum Vehicle Services.

However, he said that the company is now expanding into alloy wheel and bodywork repairs and his boss requires him to have a driving licence in order to move vehicles and deliver them to customers.

He claimed that without a licence he would lose his job.

Anwar, now aged 25, stressed that he now has a different attitude to when he was convicted.

“I have realised I have got responsibilities,” he said.

“I want to build a future – I have a lot of people relying on me.”

He added that he does not intend to use a car for personal use.

“It would be helpful, but I can’t afford it as yet,” he said, adding that he has no interest in driving now and would be apprehensive about getting behind a wheel again.

However, Judge Stead said that it would not be just to allow Anwar to shorten the term of his disqualification and dismissed his application.

“This was a particularly serious offence,” he said.

“I do have regard to it and the consequences for those who have been affected by it.”