Driver led police on high speed chase in Bolton while 8 times over the drugs limit

Waqas Ahmed, 40, led officers on the pursuit through Bolton after they gave chase on the evening of April 2 last year.

Bolton Crown Court heard how he had a passenger with him as he raced over traffic calming measures, swerved to the wrong side of the road and carried out dangerous manoeuvres.

Prosecutor Craig MacGregor said: “It really is a question of the driving that’s on the video.”

The court was shown footage of Ahmed in a Vauxhall Insignia speeding away from officers across New Lane, Winchester Way, Crossdale Road and others.

The case was heard at Bolton Crown Court (Image: Anthony Moss) Mr MacGregor told the court that while driving at speeds of at times 60mph and 70mph in 20mph and 30mph zones, Ahmed repeatedly drove over traffic calming measures.

He also drove on the wrong side of the road and through a pedestrian crossing.

Mr MacGregor pointed out that pedestrians and children had been present and that most of Ahmed’s driving had been through housing estates that evening.

He said: “Who knows why he did what he did?”

Ahmed, who had 28 previous convictions for 38 offences, was eventually stopped, arrested and tested positive for being eight times over the legal limit for cannabis.

But he answered “no comment” when questioned by police and at first did not enter a plea in the magistrates’ court.

When brought before the crown court he pleaded guilty to both dangerous driving and drug driving.

Ellie McManus, defending, said that Ahmed, of Castle Street, The Haulgh, deserved credit for his guilty plea and said that his previous driving offences were “of some age”.

She said: “He had some negative experiences with the police in the past and so this negative experience triggered some of those anxieties.”

She added: “He knows he should have just stopped, he should have just pulled over and asked why he was being followed.”

But Judge Jon Close reminded the court of the huge speeds Ahmed had built up to anyone who may have been out walking that day.

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He said: “All of this was in and around housing estates where pedestrians could be seen and on some occasions so could children.”

Judge Close also said that reports found Ahmed’s previous rehabilitation work had been “superficial”.

He said: “You’ve had chance after chance and you’ve gone on to reoffend and reoffend.”

Judge Close jailed Ahmed for 15 months and banned him from driving for two years, with a seven months and two week uplift to take account of his time in prison.

Source – INDIA TV