Six months for driver who led police on 13-mile high speed chase through Huddersfield

Feb 9 2010 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A 30-YEAR-OLD driver involved in a 13-mile police pursuit has been sentenced to six months in jail.

Imran Iqbal featured in an Examiner story in 2007 after he was praised by a judge for his public-spirited actions in coming to the aid of a woman who was being assaulted.

But yesterdayanother judge watched a 20-minute DVD of police car footage of his late-night pursuit.

Bradford Crown Court heard how officers wanted to stop the VW Passat Iqbal was driving for a routine check last July, but a passenger in the car with him told Iqbal to drive off because he was wanted on a warrant.

The lengthy DVD footage showed Iqbal reaching what a judge described as “break-neck speed” as he tried to escape the pursuing police vehicle which had its blue lights flashing.

Iqbal had set off along Fleminghouse Lane, Almondbury and continued to drive at speed despite traffic calming measures on residential streets.