A 48-year-old man who was involved in a “hair-raising” police pursuit in his Mitsubishi GTO on Calderdale Way had to be removed from a crown court dock by security staff after he refused to go to jail.

After watching in-car footage of the pursuit in January last year the Recorder of Bradford Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC sentenced man Naseem Afsar to 10 months in prison, but when he was told to go with the security officer he replied: ”I don’t want to go.”

Despite encouragement from the officer Afsar stood his ground and other staff had to be called into court to put him in handcuffs and take him downstairs to begin his sentence.

At the time of the dangerous driving offence in January last year Afsar had been reported “missing” by concerned family members and when a police officer stopped him for a routine check in Huddersfield he was co-operative at the start.

Bradford Crown Court

Even though he was fully insured and had a clean licence Afsar claimed to have panicked when he decided to get back in his car and drive off.

Afsar pleaded guilty to driving dangerously between New Hey Road and the Calderdale Way where he eventually crashed into a barrier and Judge Durham Hall described the pursuit as hair-raising.

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The judge said Afsar had “shot off” in his fast car and continued to drive the damaged vehicle even after he had hit and demolished a wall.

He said the footage showed Afsar’s car hitting another vehicle, possibly a learner driver, before it was seen weaving about on the very busy dual carriageway between Huddersfield and Halifax.

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Even after the final collision Afsar struggled with the police officer who had to be assisted by a passing lorry driver.

Afsar, of Stephenson Street, Bradford, who admitted dangerous driving and resisting a police officer, was also banned from driving for two years and five months.

At the end of his ban he must also take an mandatory retest before lawfully driving on the roads again.