A SPEEDING lorry driver who reversed over and killed a young man in an "entirely avoidable" accident has been jailed for 36 weeks.

Jakub Murlewski, 28, was backing his truck into Sapcote Trading Centre in Dudden Hill Lane, Neasden, to collect waste from snack food manufacturer UPB Products when it knocked down pedestrian Yousef Zayni, 23, from behind.

Mr Zayni, a dispensing assistant, of Preston Road, Wembley, who taking a shortcut to work, suffered fatal head injuries and a heart attack, and died within the hour at the scene of the accident on December 13 2011.

Harrow Crown Court heard Murlewski reached a near-top speed of 7 1/2 mph and did not instruct the SITA UK co-worker in the cab with him to act as a banksman, relying his wing mirrors and dashboard rear-view monitor alone.

Police discovered the 3.5 tonne vehicle's reversing alarm had been disconnected by hand but Murlewski's routine morning safety check failed to pick it up.

Prosecutor Peter Finnigan said: "Mr Zayni's death was entirely avoidable.“There was no good reason apart from haste and a lack of proper attention why Mr Murlewski shouldn’t have seen Mr Zayni walking to work that day. 

"The manner in which the defendant drove the truck, irrespective of whether he knew about the defective alarm, fell far below what would be expected of a competent and careful driver.

"Whatever the reason - the culture, the pressure - it should not have happened and he should have taken more care, and he should have asked somebody to act as his eyes and ears."

Murlewski's counsel Harry Potter had told the court: "It seems to be a simple miscalculation, an error of judgement. So easy to make.

"He was going faster than either of them thought.

"Mr Zayni had his [earphones] volume up and the evidence shows he wouldn't have heard the lorry."

Married father-of-one Murlewski, of Wood Green End Road, Hayes, who learned to drive during his 11 months in the Polish Army and had an unblemished motoring record, was jailed yesterday (Wed, July 24) and disqualified from driving for two years after being acquitted of causing death by dangerous driving and convicted of causing death by careless driving.

Mr Zayni was one of three brother and had graduated from Brunel University with a degree in biomedical science.

Since his death, his family have been fundraising for the Iraqi Orphan Foundation as they said as part of his "loving and unique character", he had wanted to sponsor an orphan before he died.

They are close to reaching their target of £5,000 and donations can be made at: https://www.justgiving.com/Yousef-Zayni