Former taxi driver 'left sparking wires' after ploughing into lamppost during suburban Leeds street chase

Banned motorist Rehan Farooq only managed to drive for around a minute while police pursued him before smashing up his Vauxhall Insignia and being arrested.

Leeds Crown Court was told that Farooq has previously worked as a cabbie, but had already been banned several times for drug driving. He is also waiting to be sentenced for riding an electric bike in which he suffered an injury following a crash.

Farooq’s white Vauxhall was spotted by police on the Leeds Outer Ring Road shortly before 1am on September 22 last year, and was quickly flagged up as having no insurance.

The officers turned to follow him, activating their blue lights. Farooq reached 70mph in 30mph zones on Tongue Lane, overtaking vehicles and driving on the wrong side.

But he then lost control, smashed into the parked Ford Fiesta on Church Lane, before hurtling across the road and into the lamppost. Prosecutor Katy Welford said the wires from the lamppost were left exposed and sparking.

The 37-year-old was arrested and records showed that he was already on a three-year ban not due to expire until July next year.

He later claimed he had driven off at speed because he did not know they were police, which was dismissed by the judge.

He has three previous convictions for three offences, mainly for driving matters.

Farooq, of Alder Hill Grove, Meanwood, admitted dangerous driving, driving while banned and without insurance.

A probation report found that Farooq had been a taxi driver who had been forced to give up his job several years earlier on health grounds.

Mitigating, Tom Jackson said he also suffered from flashbacks from the electric bike accident which left him needing crutches, and had significant mental-health issues.

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Judge Simon Batiste reminded the court that Farooq is still be to be sentenced over the bike incident.

Referring to the police chase, he told him: “It was a horrifically-dangerous piece of driving. It’s purely by good luck, partially because it was late at night, that nobody was injured or killed as a result of your driving.

“You have no-one to blame but yourself. You continue to drive when subject to disqualification.”

He jailed him for 14 months and gave him a new 43-month driving ban, ordering he undertake an extended test to get his licence back once the ban expires.