A JUDGE said there is an "epidemic of young men thinking they can get behind the wheel of a car and drive however they like" in Bradford.

The comments came as an unlicensed teenage driver who took a Mercedes car and led police on a 10-minute pursuit through narrow streets before abandoning it and running off was sentenced. 

Prosecutor Safaraz Ahad told Bradford Crown Court how Muhammad Sheikh, 19, of Marlborough Road, Bradford, ignored a police car’s request to stop and instead sped off at 8.13pm on June 13.

In his attempt to evade the police, he reached speeds of 50mph in 20mph zones, jumped red lights, ignored roundabouts, and drove on the kerb causing damage to the wheel that eventually forced him to stop near Lister Park.

He then got out and ran into the park but was found hiding in a neighbouring garden and arrested.

He told officers: “Listen, I only drove away from you because I don’t have a licence.”

He later admitted taking the car’s keys from the pocket of a friend who had himself borrowed the car from another.

He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking, failing to stop, and having neither a licence nor insurance.

Damage to the car, including its wing, bumper and headlights, was estimated to cost in the region of £2,000.

Mitigating, Brian Russell said Sheikh’s actions, which he called “an appalling and prolonged piece of driving” amounted to “a remarkably stupid thing to do borne out of a desire to drive a powerful car". 

Sentencing Sheikh to 12 months imprisonment suspended for 18 months plus six months for aggravated vehicle taking, to be served concurrently, Her Honour Judge Kirstie Watson said the chase, played on video in court, was not the worst she had seen but was “certainly one of the longest”.

She said: “Very few of them last as long as that. I kept waiting for it to end. You kept going.

“There is in this city an epidemic of young men thinking they can get behind the wheel of a car and drive however they like.”

Taking note of his age, the fact that he had no previous convictions, that he had shown remorse and that the offending was out of character she banned him from driving for 12 months and ordered him to pass an extended retest before getting behind the wheel again.

Sheikh was also made subject to a three-month electronically monitored 7pm to 7am curfew, ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work, and to undertake 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days.