Driver abandoned badly-injured pal after crashing into Leeds barbershop during chase

During the chase with police, Liam Woods quickly reached 86mph in built-up areas of Wortley before the VW Golf R smashed into the shopfront of Tonic Barbershop on the corner of Lower Wortley Road and Fawcett Lane.

Luckily, it was late at night and the premises were empty, although it cost the owner around £6,000 to fix the damage.

Woods’ passenger had to be rushed to hospital suffering a shattered right arm, an abrasion to his elbow and bruising to both lungs.

Leeds Crown Court was told that 23-year-old Woods had been banned from driving in 2021 and was brought back to court in March last year – eight months before the crash – where he admitted driving while disqualified. On that occasion he was given a 12-week suspended sentence.

Jailing him for 26 months this week, Judge Penelope Belcher told him: “Having reached those speeds you lost control. You had no regard for other road users or your passenger at all. It appears you couldn’t care less.

"You were driving while disqualified and without insurance with no care for other road users. It’s pure luck there were no more serious injuries.”

Prosecutor Michael Collins said officers had tried to pull the Golf over at around 10.30pm on November 20 last year on Tong Road in Wortley.

The vehicle pulled over and the police car pulled alongside, but the officer said the driver tried to shield his face before taking off again at speed.

The chase only lasted around 22 seconds but in that time Woods was able to reach nearly three times the 30mph speed limit along Lower Wortley Road. He then lost control, hit a grass embankment and collided with the shop.

Not stopping to check on his injured passenger, Woods got out and ran, but was apprehended less than two minutes later. He had suffered a minor cut above his eye.

He gave a no-comment interview but denied it was him driving, saying a third man was behind the wheel, a claim he later admitted was a lie.

Woods, of Heights Way, Armley, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury through dangerous driving, driving while banned and without insurance.

He appeared in court from via video link from HMP Leeds where he was being held on remand.

In mitigation, Michael Walsh said that Woods accepted he had “brought it all on himself”.

He added: “He committed these offences while on a suspended sentence, but it (the outcome) is not as bad as it could have been. He says he has no intention of driving again.

"He just wants to get out of custody eventually to maintain his relationship with his girlfriend and his children. This wont be a short, sharp shock, but will be a sharp shock.”

He was banned from driving for three years and two months and told he must take an extended re-test before getting his licence back.