A motorist who led police on a 70mph car chase through Huddersfield has been jailed after driving while disqualified.
Leeds Crown Court heard two officers in a marked police car began following Habib Latif in the early hours of September 8 in Moldgreen.
They saw the Vauxhall Vectra turn from Wakefield Road into Broad Lane and then Coniston Avenue and put on their blue lights signalling for the driver to stop but he continued to Bradford Lane turned back into Wakefield Road heading at an increasing speed towards the town centre.
Christopher Dunn, prosecuting, said at that stage Latif crossed to the opposite carriageway and was doing 70mph in an area restricted to a 30 limit. It was only when he was faced with an oncoming vehicle he swerved back on to this correct lane to avoid a head-on collision.
He continued driving at speeds up to 60mph in residential roads and when he was suddenly faced with temporary lights at some roadworks he ignored them.
His route then included Whitehead Lane, Primrose Hill, Croftlands, Bluebell Hill and Fair Hill Road where he eventually stopped.
The police car pulled up alongside him and he was arrested. When put into the back of the police car he said: “I panicked, I’m sorry. I haven’t got a licence, the car is my dad’s, he doesn’t know I have got it.”
When he was interviewed he said he knew he should have pulled up but had panicked. The court heard he had a previous conviction for dangerous driving and driving while disqualified.
Alasdair Campbell representing Latif said his best mitigation was his guilty plea and genuine remorse. He was ashamed of his actions but fortunately had stopped without anyone being hurt.
Latif, 26 of Orchard Terrace, Primrose Hill admitted dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and without insurance and was jailed for 10 months. He was also banned from driving for three years.
Judge Neil Clark said when police saw him at 1.20am in the Vectra “You were in fact a banned driver.”
After ignoring the blue lights signalling him to stop “You drove off and the driving that followed from that point in time was particularly dangerous, you were utterly unconcerned for your safety or the safety of others on the road.”
