A DANGER driver rolled his car and smashed it into a tree during a hair-raising 20-minute police chase at up to 80mph through built-up areas of Bradford.

Mohammed Imtiaz lost control of the Skoda Fabia during a high speed pursuit out of the city shortly after midnight on May 3, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Imtiaz, 25, of St Leonard's Road, Girlington, Bradford, panicked and sped off from the police even though he was licensed and insured to drive the car.

Prosecutor Vincent Blake-Barnard yesterday played dashcam footage from the pursuing patrol car in the courtroom.

It showed Imtiaz, a takeaway worker, jumping two red lights and crossing on to the wrong side of the road during the lengthy chase from Duckworth Lane through to Harrogate Road, Apperley Lane and out on to rural Goose Lane.

The pursuit ended when he lost control of the car and rolled it three times before hitting a tree. He escaped with minor injuries, the court was told.

Imtiaz told the police he panicked because he was afraid of them, even though he was not committing any offence and had no previous convictions.

His barrister, Mohammed Rafiq, conceded that footage of the car chase “doesn’t make pleasant viewing”.

“He was very foolish in the manner of his driving,” Mr Rafiq said.

Imtiaz had pleaded guilty to dangerous driving at an earlier hearing before magistrates.

He was a carer for his elderly and infirm grandfather and had been married for two years but his wife was still in Pakistan.

Mr Rafiq said that a psychological report prepared on Imtiaz supported his case that he panicked and then felt unable to stop.

Judge Jonathan Rose sentenced Imtiaz to nine months imprisonment, suspended for two years, with 280 hours of unpaid work.

He also banned Imtiaz from driving for three years and until he takes an extended retest.

Judge Rose told Imtiaz he put the lives of police officers and members of the public at risk.

“You persisted in the most dreadful driving over a long period of time,” he said.

But the report highlighted Imtiaz’s “particular psychological limitations” meaning he panicked when he had no reason to do so.

Judge Rose also warned him he would go straight to prison if he “missed one minute” of his unpaid work.