A TEENAGER who threw punches at a police officer after crashing during a high-speed pursuit that endangered other road users and schoolchildren has been locked up.

Tokeer Sagheer, 19, who was unlicensed and uninsured, decided to practice his driving in his mother’s white Volkswagen Golf on a busy afternoon in central Bradford.

In the police chase that ensued he clipped a vehicle, drove into the path of a double-decker bus and side-swiped parked cars before crashing on Victor Road, Bradford Crown Court heard on Thursday.

Prosecutor Ayman Khokhar said that Sagheer, of Springcliffe Street, Manningham, Bradford, was spotted by the police on Keighley Road at 2.45pm on July 22 last year driving erratically and at speed.

He accelerated past slow moving traffic on Emm Lane before swerving aggressively back into line, forcing another driver to brake to avoid a collision.

After almost colliding head-on with another vehicle, he pulled over towards the kerb but when the pursuing police car came alongside, he sped off almost hitting another motorist.

He was doing 55mph in a 30 zone, almost clipping the kerb and nearly driving head-on into a cyclist.

Sagheer overtook on a blind bend, hitting a vehicle’s wing mirror, and drove into the path of the bus that had to brake to avoid him. He then crashed into a parked vehicle on Victor Road.

A police officer ran over to the Golf which jolted backwards as if to make off. The officer smashed the driver’s window with his baton and jabbed at Sagheer with it while he snatched the keys.

Mr Khokhar said he was still trying to escape, refusing to get down on the floor and swinging his fists at the officer. Even after he was put in handcuffs, he was trying to get out of the police vehicle.

Mr Khokhar said there was ‘a heavy footfall’ of pedestrians around at the time, including schoolchildren.

Sagheer pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and driving unlicensed and uninsured.

Michael Greenhalgh said in mitigation that he had no previous convictions and a job with 02. He made a significant financial contribution to the family as his father was in poor health and his mother didn’t work.

When he saw the police, he knew he was uninsured and he panicked and ‘took quite drastic measures’ to get away.

Recorder Patrick Palmer said it was ‘an utterly disgraceful’ piece of driving.

Sagheer was sentenced to six months in a young offender institution and banned from driving for 15 months and until he passes an extended test.