New dad abandoned car on motorway after 117mph chase and ran …
A new dad who abandoned a stolen car in the middle of the M606 and then ran across six lanes to escape police[1] has been jailed for 15 months.
Despite being repeatedly disqualified from driving since getting his licence in late 2020, Awais Mohammed was again behind the wheel of a VW Polo when officers in an unmarked police car spotted the stolen vehicle on the M62 on the evening of February 26 this year.
Bradford Crown Court[2] heard how Mohammed, 21, reached a speed of 117mph as he was pursued towards the M606 and he was caught on dashcam footage overtaking and undertaking other drivers on the busy motorway. Prosecutor Bashir Ahmed described how the police illuminated their blue lights and tried to pull alongside the VW Polo, but Mohammed suddenly slammed on his brakes in the live lane and reversed for a short distance before abandoning the car and running across six lanes towards an industrial estate.
With the help of the police helicopter, officers were able to find Mohammed hiding in bushes, but after his arrest he denied he had been the driver of the car.
At a court hearing[4] last month Mohammed, of Folkestone Street, Bradford, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.
The court heard that just 11 days before the incident Mohammed’s wife had given birth and he claimed he had wanted to get a car even though he was already banned from driving. Mr Bashir outlined details of five previous driving bans given to Mohammed and the court heard he committed the latest offences in breach of a community order.
Bradford Crown Court (Image: Yorkshire Live)
Barrister Erin Kilson-Parker, for Mohammed, said he had panicked because he knew he was disqualified and was now genuinely remorseful.
But Recorder Simon Myerson KC rejected her submissions that any prison sentence could be suspended and he told Mohammed:”Your chances have run out.”
He said the offence of dangerous driving was as bad as it gets and Mohammed had not thought about his baby daughter, his wife or anybody else when he committed the offence. The judge noted that after Mohammed stopped “dead” on the motorway he counted nine cars on the dashcam footage driving by in just 20 seconds.
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“That’s a minimum of nine lives that you put at risk,” he told Mohammed.
“You exited the car and you ran across six lanes of a motorway. Every single lane with the potential of being occupied by a driver who does not expect an obstruction on an unrestricted road. All of that done against a background in which not a single court order has been obeyed by you and not a single chance that you have been repeatedly offered has been grasped by you.”
The judge said society needed to be protected from Mohammed’s repeated offending and he banned him from driving for 10 years.
Mohammed will then have to pass an extended re-test before lawfully driving on the roads again.
References
- ^ ran across six lanes to escape police (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ Bradford Crown Court (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ Tragedy as 'always happy' dad and HGV driver found dead in back of lorry (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ court hearing (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ click here. (data.reachplc.com)
References
- ^ ran across six lanes to escape police (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ Bradford Crown Court (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ Tragedy as 'always happy' dad and HGV driver found dead in back of lorry (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ court hearing (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ click here. (data.reachplc.com)
References
- ^ ran across six lanes to escape police (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ Bradford Crown Court (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ Tragedy as 'always happy' dad and HGV driver found dead in back of lorry (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ court hearing (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ click here. (data.reachplc.com)