A DANGEROUS and uninsured driver has been jailed for four years and eight months after he killed his best friend in a car crash then lied to police about who was driving.

Muhammad Awaisi, 23, of Winchcombe Drive, Bristol, was driving at speed and was trying to entice another driver to race him in terrible weather conditions when the Audi Q7 hit a wall at the junction of Birksland Street and Bowling Back Lane, in Bradford, on January 21, 2018, killing the person he intended to be best man at his wedding, Syed Zaeen Hassan, who was 22-years-old.

Police described his actions as "utter stupidity and extreme recklessness" after Bradford Crown Court heard the crash came at the end of a three day road trip with three of his friends.

Jonathan Sharp, prosecuting, said the 23-year-old borrowed the Audi from his friend and sent him a photograph of a forged insurance document when the friend asked him to send proof he was insured to drive the car.

Footage shown to the court revealed how badly Awaisi was driving as the friends made their way from Bristol to Stockport for an overnight stay, and then onto Blackpool and finally Bradford.

The Snapchat videos showed Awaisi was driving at 122mph on a motorway and, in one of the videos, he was recording while at the wheel.

Mr Sharp said noone in the car was wearing a seatbelt.

The group arrived in Bradford at 1.30pm on Sunday, January 21 last year and encountered a white VW Golf R .

The cars followed each other through traffic and Mr Sharp said Awaisi's driving was aggressive and the driver of the Golf feared the men were planning to steal his car.

As the driver of the Golf tried to get away he crossed over the junction with Shipley Airedale Road and then up Leeds Road.

The pursuit continued until the Golf turned into an industrial area on Birksland Street and the driver stopped, fearing a crash.

He decided to take his chances of having the Golf stolen, and stopped, but Awaisi drove past him at speed, flashing his hazard lights as a 'victory' signal.

A CCTV camera caught Awaisi doing 58mph on Birksland Street and Mr Sharp said he saw the junction with Bowling Back Lane too late.

The Audi hit the wall opposite the junction and the car was thrown into the air. Zaeen was thrown out of the rear window and died almost instantly.

Awaisi gave false details to the police when they arrived at the scene and again at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

When his real identity was discovered, he told police he had panicked, but continued to lie and denied being the driver.

He told police Zaeen was the driver and even blamed him for forging the fake insurance document.

The court heard Awaisi continued to deny the matters and did not decide to plead guilty to dangerous driving until a week before his trial was due to take place.

Alistair Webster, QC, for Awaisi, said several people had provided good references about him.

They described him as a caring individual who supports people of all ages at his mosque.

He had also suffered emotional turmoil and PTSD since the crash.

Judge Neil Davey QC sentenced Awaisi to four years and eight months in prison and banned him from driving for five years and 10 months.

Detective Constable Simon Marshall of West Yorkshire Police's Major Collision Enquiry Team (MCET), said: "I am pleased the court process has come to an end today with the sentencing of Awaisi for his part in a truly appalling incident.

“Throughout the investigation he sought to evade justice and only at the last moment admitted the offences against him.

“Speeding in such bad weather conditions was an act of utter stupidity and extreme recklessness which frankly beggars belief."