AN “immature and foolish” teenage driver who led police on a brief but dangerous pursuit through Bradford streets by “driving like an idiot” has been banned from driving before even passing his test. Police saw 18-year-old Aryaan Khan driving an unregistered Seat Leon with a smashed rear windscreen in an “anti-social and erratic” fashion on Girlington Road at 7.45pm on September 22 this year.
Prosecutor Peter Byrne told Bradford Crown Court that Khan, of Hedge Side, Bradford, ignored officers’ signal to pull over and instead sped off. The resulting pursuit, lasting one minute and 22 seconds, was captured on the patrol car’s Watchguard CCTV system, which was screened in court. Khan jumped a red light at Thornton Road and drove at speed narrowly missing other vehicles.
It turned into the flow of oncoming traffic and then left into an alleyway on Hoxton Street. It collided with a telegraph pole and came to a stop on Agar Street. Khan got out of the car and ran off pursued by the police who found him hiding behind parked cars on Waterloo Street.
During an interview with police Khan gave “no comment” answers to all questions. He was found to hold only a provisional licence and had no insurance to drive. The car was seized by police.
Khan, a mechanic, later pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, having no insurance, and driving without a licence. Mitigating, Saf Salam pointed out Khan’s age, lack of maturity, his previous good character, and his remorse. Sentenc.