A LORRY driver whose dangerous driving left a Farnham man dead has failed to convince top judges to cut his jail term.

Lewis William Lodge, of Sissinghurst Drive, Milton Keynes, was locked up for four years and eight months at Winchester Crown Court on June 28 last year.

The 40-year-old admitted causing the death of 35-year-old Choudhry Sadaqat by dangerous driving.

Lodge was behind the wheel of a large, 33-tonne articulated lorry on Green Street, East Worldham, on July 21, 2017.

The HGV was involved in a minor collision with the Citroen C3 being driven by Mr Sadaqat, said Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb.

There was an argument between the two men and Lodge moved the Citroen out of the way by getting into it and driving some distance down the road.

He then got back into his lorry to leave, despite knowing Mr Sadaqat wanted him to stay to await the arrival of police.

Lodge took the decision to drive away from the scene at very slow speed when he “knew and could see” the victim in front of the lorry.

Mr Sadaqat had moved to the nearside, against a verge, when he stumbled and fell and was “crushed” beneath the lorry’s wheels.

“Family man” Lodge expressed remorse, said the appeal judge, who was sitting with two others.

Last week his lawyers argued his jail term was far too tough and should be reduced.

But Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said it was a “tragic and wholly avoidable death” and the grounds of appeal were “unarguable”.

Lodge made a “deliberate decision to drive when the rules of the road required him to stop”.

It was a “clear case of him disregarding the great danger being caused to the victim”.

He was “in full control of the vehicle and could readily have avoided the collision,” she said.

The appeal was dismissed.

* After Lodge was jailed, Sgt Mark Furse, from the police serious collision investigation unit, also agreed it was “a death that could have easily been avoided”.

“While it is clear Mr Lodge was trying to navigate around Mr Sadaqat, it would have been obvious to any clear-thinking motorist that such a manoeuvre in such a large vehicle was dangerous and had the potential to end in tragedy,” he added.

“Had Mr Lodge just kept his patience that day and taken a moment to think about what he was about to do, then Mr Sadaqat may still be alive today.

“He made a reckless decision that has left a family devastated.

“This case clearly shows how losing your patience, for even a moment, while driving can have tragic consequences.

“I would like to remind motorists that no matter how frustrated you may feel behind the wheel, it is never worth risking the life of another – stop, take a breath, and drive safely at all times.”

Lodge was also banned from driving for six years and four months

The death occurred during the large-scale set up of Britain’s biggest annual Islamic gathering, held at East Worldham, near Alton.

It saw more than 35,000 Muslims come together in a tented village at Hadeeqatul Mahdi, formerly Oaklands Farm, for the annual three-day Jalsa Salana.

At the time the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK confirmed the HGV driver was approaching the site when the incident occurred.

An Ahmadiyya spokesman described it as “a very sad, tragic road traffic accident”.

“He was one of our members who was driving and approaching Oaklands Farm (Hadeeqatul Mahdi),” he added.

Following his death, Mr Sadaqat’s family said he was a “good son and brother”.

Jalsa Salana will return this year, running over the weekend of August 2-4.