A DANGEROUS driver who reversed at speed down a residential road near children playing in the street to escape police and helped steal a £36,000 Audi has been jailed for 30 months for a litany of offences.
Omar Ali, 30, of Cumberland Avenue in Lidget Green, Bradford, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison at Bradford Crown Court on Wednesday for six driving offences, as well as burglary of a dwelling, theft, possession of cannabis and failing to surrender.
The first offence was on April 25 in 2018, just before 3.30pm when a man was working in his garden office.
Just 150 yards away in his house, a patio door was smashed with a large stone and the drawers of the kitchen diner were rummaged through while upstairs was searched too.
Ali waited outside and did not enter the property but Judge Colin Burn said on sentencing that was immaterial and it was a case of joint enterprise.
They stole watches, including a £1,500 Tag Heuer, and the homeowner’s grey Audi S4 Avant – worth £36,000 – after finding the keys inside the house.
A few days later, Ali was arrested for dangerous driving and other offences – which were dealt with separately – and the Audi’s key was found on him.
Three years later, on June 17, 2021, Ali was caught driving while disqualified and then a month later came the first of two police pursuits.
The first chase began at around 7.30pm on August 10 when a Volkswagen Golf stopped abruptly in front of a police car with two officers in on Brooksbank Avenue.
The driver got out and ran off and Ali jumped across to get behind the wheel.
Police blocked the car from going forward but it reversed at speed onto Scholemoor Avenue which was a tight street with vehicles parked either side with children playing nearby.
Ali then moved onto Ashton Avenue, travelling at high speed, and narrowly missed a vehicle pulling out of its drive, before crossing over the pavement and through bollards to get onto Necropolis Road.
Police lost sight of the vehicle but it was later recovered and Ali’s fingerprints were found on it.
Ali was due to appear at court in June 2021 but did not turn up and failed to surrender until he was arrested for his latest offence – another case of dangerous driving.
This instance – on July 5 this year – also involved charges for aggravated vehicle taking, driving while disqualified, possession of cannabis and driving with no insurance.
Police spotted a bronze BMW X1 with two men in who were wearing balaclavas and indicated for it to pull over.
But it made off from Hollingwood Lane, across Clayton Road, onto Scholemoor Lane, which caused several vehicles to emergency stop to avoid crashing.
The car did 50mph in a 30mph zone, went the wrong way around a roundabout, while there were numerous people in the street as well, with some having to jump back to avoid the vehicle.
The chase only came to a halt because the car got jammed between a concrete post and a tree.
A passenger climbed out the window and was detained, while Ali – who was driving – ran off wearing a balaclava but was caught.
A third male also fled and was never caught.
Ali’s defence lawyer, Mohammed Rafiq, said he “isn’t the brightest penny” and that in the past he has been easily influenced by others.
He also outlined that Ali did not attend court in June 2021 as he had Covid-19 at the time.
Judge Burn said: “You didn’t surrender or arrive at court for another year, it does need to be put.”
The court heard Ali has started a relationship with a woman in Bradford over the past 12 months.
They are still together and his partner gave birth to a young boy three weeks ago when Ali was remanded in custody, and so he has not seen the child.
Mr Rafiq said: “It’s something quite new to him, a responsibility he’s never had before and it has actually dawned upon him what an idiot he’s been and he’s given a chance now to get himself on the straight and narrow.”
Judge Burn sentenced Ali to 30 months in prison and also disqualified him from driving for 27 months.
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