Jail for man who crashed into Bradford garden after police chase

Shahbaz Hussain narrowly avoided hitting another vehicle as he ignored Give Way signs during the 13 minute pursuit.

Hussain, 30, of Walden Drive, Heaton, Bradford, was sentenced at the city’s crown court on a video link to HMP Hull where he was being held on remand.

Prosecutor Gareth Henderson-Moore said that he had pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and to driving while disqualified and uninsured at an earlier hearing.

He drove off at speed when the police spotted him in Halifax at the wheel of a Vauxhall Corsa shortly after 9pm on March 23.

The court heard that Hussain accelerated away at up to 70mph in 30 zones and ignored the rules of the road before crashing into a garden in Bradford.

Bolt cutters were found in the car but the Crown dropped a charge of going equipped for theft ahead of the sentencing hearing on Friday.

Mr Henderson-Moore said the offending was aggravated by the fact that it was dark at the time and Hussain was a banned driver.

It was also made worse by his criminal record of 63 previous convictions for 97 offences, including 12 driving convictions, one for dangerous driving.

Hussain’s barrister, Gerald Hendron, said his client owed money at the time. To pay off the debt he was ordered to drive from Halifax to Bradford, where he was living.

He panicked when he saw the police vehicle and drove off in a bid to escape.

No one was injured in the pursuit and the only damage was to Hussain’s car.

Mr Hendron said that he had been held in custody since his arrest.

Originally from Birmingham where most of his family still were, he had lost two relatives to the coronavirus.

After being estranged from members of his family, they had now been in touch after the tragic deaths.

Hussain had been offered work in a takeaway on his release from prison.

Judge Jonathan Gibson banned him from driving for 16 months and ordered him to take an extended retest to get his licence back.