Two-time drug-driver Muhammed Hassan has been jailed for six months after sparking a police pursuit - just MINUTES after Bradford magistrates had banned him from driving.
Despite already being a disqualified driver, Hassan had turned up at Bradford Magistrates Court last month in a Volkswagen Golf - which he parked on double yellow lines - and he left in his car soon after being banned from driving again for three years.
Shop manager Hassan, 21, was fined and given a two-year driving ban for his first over-the-limit offence in February, but on September 9 he was due to be sentenced at the magistrates court again for a second incident of driving while over the proscribed limit for cannabis.
Prosecutor Philip Adams told a judge at Bradford Crown Court today that despite the existing driving ban Hassan turned up in the VW Golf which he parked illegally outside the magistrates court.
During the afternoon hearing Hassan was sentenced to a 12-month community order, including unpaid work, and banned again for three years for driving and public order offences.
But Hassan was then caught on CCTV getting back into the Golf, which had already got a parking ticket, and driving off along Hall Ings.
Mr Adams said the Golf was followed by a police car and failed to stop when officers activated their blue lights.
Hassan ignored “no entry” signs as he drove over the speed limit through Little Germany and went the wrong way down Peckover Street.
The officers described how Hassan then “bullied” his way onto the three-lane Shipley Airedale Road causing other drivers to do emergency stops to avoid a collision.
“He drove across the three lanes. It was busy at the time and he then drove over the raised central reservation and onto the other carriageway,” said Mr Adams.
Another driver had to brake hard to avoid a crash and Mr Adams said the police officers abandoned the pursuit because it was too dangerous to follow Hassan’s path through the heavy traffic.
Hassan, of All Alone Road, Idle, Bradford, was arrested 11 days later and today he admitted charges of dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.
Barrister Jessica Heggie, for Hassan, said the dangerous driving was over a relatively short distance and thankfully it did not involve a collision.
She said Hassan’s family were understandably devastated by the position he now found himself in.
Judge Jonathan Gibson said although noone was injured Hassan had clearly put people at risk by his manner of driving.
“Having been disqualified and then driving you simply flouted the court’s order,” he told Hassan.
The judge banned Hassan again for three years and three months and ordered him to take an extended re-test at the end of the disqualification period.
He said the jail term could have been more severe, but he concluded that six months was sufficient for a first prison sentence.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article