A judge has criticised a six-month delay in fixing a Court hearing which meant it took more than a year to deal with a dangerous driver.

Aqeel Hussain was arrested in November 2004 after a high-speed pursuit ended with him crashing his uninsured Toyota car into a wall on Laurel Street.

He appeared before Bradford magistrates last January and a month later pleaded guilty to dangerous driving - but his case was adjourned as he denied possessing heroin and crack cocaine and handling the car.

There were then two more adjournments until it was decided in April to hold a hearing to rule on a dispute over the circumstances of his dangerous driving. At this hearing, in October, Hussain admitted possessing drugs but the handling allegation was discontinued and there was agreement over the dangerous driving details: the prosecution accepted he had not rammed a police car.

The case was adjourned for a pre-sentence report and, last month, magistrates sent him to Bradford Crown Court for sentence. Yesterday, at that court, prosecutor Paul Nicholson said police had seen Hussain in a damaged Toyota with no number plates and pursued him.

He made handbrake turns, swerved to the wrong side of the road and sped at up to 70mph. He eventually crashed into a wall and was found to have heroin and crack cocaine with him.

Hussain, 20, of Heath Terrace, Bradford Moor, was sentenced yesterday for dangerous driving, possessing Class A drugs and driving without insurance.

His barrister Giles Bridge said the delays could not be blamed on Hussain and urged Judge Geoffrey Kamil not to jail him.

He said Hussain, who had only one previous conviction, was now working at a hairdresser's and had not driven or taken drugs since being arrested.

Judge Kamil said it was miraculous no-one was hurt, especially as the chase was during the day.

But, he said, he had to sentence him for something that happened about 15 months ago and the delays "cannot be necessarily laid at your door".

He said he found it quite astounding that "for some amazing reason" it took about six months to find a hearing date to resolve the one disputed issue.

Even if he did jail Hussain for six months he would serve only four to six weeks, he said. So he gave him 80 hours community service work and a two-year community rehabilitation order.

Hussain must pay a £150 fine for having no insurance, another £100 for the drugs matters and £100 prosecution costs. He is also banned from driving for two years and must take an extended test before he can drive again.