A taxi driver from Epsom has been jailed for 4 months for failing to stop at the scene of a collision which resulted in the death of a man.

60 year old Farid Cheheb struck 44-year-old Shane Scannell (pictured) in South Street last May.

The pedestrian was left with a series of injuries including a traumatic head injury and later died in hospital.

Cheheb did not stop at the scene, and later claimed that he thought he had hit a fox.

He’s also been handed a 6 month driving ban.

Detective Inspector Ben Grilli said, “This was a challenging investigation where there were no witnesses to the actual collision and the vehicle did not stop at the scene.

“It is a testament to the effort put into this investigation that the vehicle was located and a person prosecuted.

“Although the CPS were not satisfied that we could suitably evidence the manner of driving that led to the collision, it is a sign of the amount of evidence secured that the driver received a custodial sentence for a minor summary offence.

“We know that the sentence will provide little comfort to the family, but we hope the sentence will provide an element of closure.”

In June last year the family of Shane Scannell paid tribute to a “son, brother, and uncle, who was loved by so many.”