An uninsured driver has been jailed for six months after he led police on a chase through Heckmondwike which only ended when he crashed into another car.

Leeds Crown Court heard officers started to follow Sohail Hussain around 3.30pm on February 9 when they saw him in a high-powered Mercedes C200 drive at speed through the junction of White Lee Road and Huddersfield Road.

David MacKay, prosecuting, said they turned into Leeds Old Road and saw the car turn sharply into Priestley Avenue. They put on their blue lights and sirens but Hussain drove into Hadfield Court without slowing.

He then turned into Wood Avenue and mounted the pavement to avoid a van damaging his front offside tyre in the process.

Mr MacKay said: “Thankfully there were no pedestrians on the pavement at the time.”

The Mercedes then turned on to Redfearn Avenue where Hussain clipped a number of wing mirrors of parked cars. Other drivers had to take steps to avoid him and in Fairfield Road and Hollinbank Lane he reached up to 60mph, still clipping mirrors of more parked cars.

He forced his way through stationary vehicles at the junction with Batley Road and went on the wrong side of the road to go through a red light but collided with an oncoming Nissan Qashqai.

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Hussain and his passenger ran off but he was caught in a nearby garden and said he was offered the chance to drive the Mercedes and claimed his friend told him not to stop.

At the time he did not have licence or insurance.

Andrew Dallas, representing Hussain, said after being made redundant from his last job he had found himself with time on his hands and hanging about.

He had given into the temptation to drive the Mercedes and the friend who had been with him had run off, leaving Hussain to carry the can.

He was still young and Mr Dallas suggested he could be sufficiently punished in the community.

Hussain, 21 of Commonside, Hanging Heaton, Batley admitted dangerous driving and having no insurance and no licence. He was disqualified from driving for two years to take effect on his release from prison.

Judge Geoffrey Marson QC said it was a serious case with the other driver suffering a whiplash injury.

He said: “I’m told young men like to drive around in cars. Well, the young men who like to do this sort of thing had better understand courts are not going to tolerate it.”