A father-of-five who jumped into a river in a bid to get away after a serious car crash has been jailed for 28 months.

A court heard yesterday how dozing drink-driver Shahid Aslam put his foot down when special constables approached his VW Golf at the junction of Stainland Road and Saddleworth Road, Halifax .

Prosecutor Ken Green told Bradford Crown Court that the constables’ attention had been drawn to the Golf because the driver was apparently asleep, but he set off at speed going through a red light and rammed the passenger side door of a Vauxhall Astra.

The collision last December left passenger Shaun Emmott with a broken pelvis and driver Matthew Squire with a broken neck, but Aslam, who had two previous convictions for dangerous driving, ran off and jumped into a nearby river.

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Mr Green said the special constables pursued Aslam and he was eventually arrested after trying to hide in nearby gardens.

A blood test later revealed that he was one-and-a-half times the legal limit for alcohol, but he initially claimed that his drinks had been “spiked” and a sleeping tablet put in one of them.

Self-employed gas-fitter Aslam, of Bankfield Road, Longroyd Bridge, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving and a further offence of drink driving.

Mr Green said Mr Emmott, who also suffered broken bones in his hand, spent a week in hospital and had to undergo an operation on his pelvis.

Bradford Crown Court

In a statement Mr Emmott said his injuries led to him being practically bed-bound and they would affect him for the rest of his life.

The court heard that Mr Squire had to wear a “halo” device after suffering a broken neck in the crash.

He described how his life had been “turned upside down” following the incident.

The court heard that Aslam had not been charged with a further offence relating to Mr Squire’s injuries and Judge Jonathan Rose said he wanted an explanation from the prosecution within seven days.

Shahid Aslam, 40, jailed for 28 months after car crash left one man with broken neck and another with broken pelvis - Pic West Yorkshire Police

Aslam’s barrister Richard Dawson conceded that the injuries suffered in the terrible accident were serious and they no doubt had a devastating impact on the two men, but he urged Judge Rose to consider passing a suspended prison sentence on his client.

Mr Dawson highlighted Aslam’s family responsibilities and the fact that he also employed an apprentice as part of his work.

He accepted that Aslam’s previous driving convictions “did him no favours”, but he pointed out that his client’s last driving offence was nine years ago.

But Judge Rose told Aslam that it was “unthinkable” that the offence would not attract a substantial prison sentence.

He expressed some sympathy for Aslam’s children and elderly parents, but said that was not a card that could be produced to prevent his imprisonment when prison was richly deserved as it was in this case.

Judge Rose said the two innocent men had been going about their lawful business at the time and each of them had been unable to carry on working after the crash.

The offence of causing serious injury by dangerous driving carries a maximum jail term of five years after a trial, but the judge said the starting point for Aslam’s sentence was three years.

After giving him a discount of about 20% for his guilty plea the judge reduced that prison sentence to 28 months.

Aslam will now be banned from driving for the next 38 months and he must pass an extended test before lawfully driving in the roads again.