A FATHER of five was chased by the police when he sped off not wanting his wife to know he was out buying cannabis, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Tausif Tayyuab ignored the blue lights and accelerated along Woodhead Road, Lidget Green, Bradford, with a patrol vehicle in pursuit.

Prosecutor Temitayo Dasaolu said that the police wanted to speak to Tayyuab, who was uninsured and on a provisional licence, because he wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.

But Tayyuab, 34, of Princeville Street, Lidget Green, had cannabis in the car and was anxious to shake them off.

He sped away along Shearbridge Road, Ingleby Road and Princeville Street, forcing another vehicle to brake and running a red light, before stopping on Padma Close.

Tayyuab pleaded guilty at the magistrates’ court to dangerous driving on April 18 last year, driving without insurance and possession of cannabis.

He told the police he needed the drug for pain relief.

He had eight previous convictions for 10 offences but they dated back to 2008 and he had no driving matters on his record.

Tayyuab’s barrister, Stephen Welford, urged the court to suspend the sentence of imprisonment conceding that the case passed the custody threshold.

References handed into the court spoke very highly of Tayyuab, Mr Welford said.

And a letter from his wife detailed the impact an immediate prison sentence would have on his family.

The couple had five children and Tayyuab cared for them while his wife worked long hours in a managerial role.

The court heard that Tayyuab’s health was not good.

He suffered from a spinal condition and took cannabis to ease the pain.

Mr Welford said he sped off from the police because he was frightened of what his wife would say if she knew he had taken the car to get some cannabis.

A probation officer present in court said that Tayyuab had a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.

He made “a stupid spur of the moment decision,” to try to outrun the police, she said.

Judge David Hatton QC sentenced Tayyuab to eight months imprisonment, suspended for two years.

He was banned from driving for 18 months and until he takes an extended retest.

The judge said: “It was an appalling piece of driving” that put both other road others and the police pursuing Tayyuab at risk.

But it was wholly out of character.

“A prison sentence would have an impact on your entirely innocent wife and children,” Judge Hatton said.