An inexperienced driver who caused a collision which could have had fatal consequences has been given a suspended prison sentence.
A court heard yesterday that Mohammed Sattar had been driving a Nissan Micra too fast when he smashed into the rear of a slow moving BMW car during the tea-time incident at Heckmondwike Sports Club 16 months ago.
Recorder David Dixon said that collision would have been bad enough, but the force of the shunt forced the BMW into a barrier at the edge of the cricket pitch where unsuspecting members of the public were sitting.
It is understood that the collision caused the metal barrier to collapse and one man was trapped underneath it injuring his ankle.
Another man in the group was thrown into the air after shouting at his friends to move and prosecutor Abigail Langford said children were also playing in the area at the time.
An ambulance had to attend the scene on April 6 last year and Recorder Dixon said the consequences of the collision could have been fatal.
Sattar, 29, of Claremont, Heckmondwike, had been due to stand trial, but he entered a guilty plea to the dangerous driving charge before a jury was sworn in.
Recorder Dixon heard that Sattar had previously served jail sentences for offences including robbery and wounding, but his barrister Georgina Goring said he had been out of trouble since 2012 and was now working at a car wash.
Bradford Crown Court heard that Sattar had been trying to leave the sports club grounds following a disturbance and Miss Goring submitted that he had been driving too fast in the circumstances.
“He would like you to know how very sorry he is about this,” she told Recorder Dixon.
“He is particularly sorry for the injuries that have been caused and the damage caused to the BMW vehicle.”
Sattar was sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for 18 months, but he must also do 150 hours unpaid work for the community.
As part of his sentence he must also attend the responsible road users group and he is now disqualified from driving for a year.
At the end of the ban Sattar must take an extended re-test before lawfully driving on the roads again.
“When you get behind the wheel of a car you are in charge of a powerful piece of machinery whether it be a Nissan Micra or a top of the range Ferrari sports car,” Recorder Dixon told Sattar.
“Both vehicles have the capacity to injure if not kill.”
Recorder Dixon said if he had thought the collision had been caused deliberately by Sattar he would have sent him to prison immediately, but the short period of driving and Sattar’s personal circumstances meant he could suspend the sentence.
