A SERIAL drink driver has dodged jail after he led police on a high-speed pursuit through Huddersfield.

Waseem Ahmed left a trail of destruction as he tried to evade a chasing police car on October 3 last year.

Ahmed, who has previously been jailed for drink driving and has six drink-driving and seven driving while disqualified convictions, appeared at Bradford Crown Court yesterday charged with dangerous driving.

The offence carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison.

But he was given “one last chance” by a judge.

The court heard how the 38-year-old accelerated his black Honda car away after police tried to stop him at 11.20pm in Milnsbridge.

Hitting double the 30mph limit, he raced up Whiteley Street on to Manchester Road and sped off towards Huddersfield.

Chasing police officers said he failed to slow down at all and dangerously overtook another motorist at the junction of Blackmoorfoot Road.

He then veered off into Paddock heading towards Royds Hall.

Still driving at 60mph, he raced up Church Street ignoring the speed bumps, smashing into parked cars and driving on the wrong side of the road.

One driver was forced to swerve out of his way and police officers said they struggled to keep up with him during the late-night pursuit.

The three-minute chase finally ended after Ahmed, of Hebden Court, Chesill Bank, Quarmby, smashed his car into a traffic island at the end of Church Street and came to a halt near the Royal Oak pub.

Despite injuring his face in the smash, Ahmed then fought with arresting officers and struck one in the face.

He continued to resist arrest at Huddersfield Police Station and then refused to give a sample of his breath.

Ahmed told officers he had only had a couple of pints but an almost empty one-litre bottle of whisky was found in his car.

Judge Mr Recorder Sandeep Kainth told Ahmed sentences imposed in the past clearly hadn’t been a deterrent.

But he said he would give him one last chance with a nine-month sentence, suspended for two years.

He was also given a suspended four-month sentence for failing to provide a breath sample to run at the same time.

The terms of the probation also include a two-year supervision order, attending a drink driving programme, 120 hours of unpaid work, a three-year driving ban and the completion of an extended driving test.

Ahmed has now sold his car and has not driven since the incident.