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A pub chef who was high on drugs when he crashed and wrote a woman's car off while fleeing police in Leeds has been jailed.

Police spotted Esa Hussain at the wheel of a stolen Vauxhall Astra on cloned number plates in Sheepscar just before 6.30pm on May 14 2019, Leeds Crown Court heard.

Hussain, 22, failed to stop and the Astra's wheels were spinning as he sped off along Sheepscar Street before driving the wrong way along Benson Street.

Prosecutor, David Mackay said Hussain went through red lights and drove along Bristol Street and out on to Cross Stamford Street without stopping.

Drug driver Esa Hussain pulled out of Bristol Street before crashing on CrossStamford Street during a police chase in Leeds.
Image: Google — Drug driver Esa Hussain pulled out of Bristol Street before crashing on CrossStamford Street during a police chase in Leeds. Image: Google | other

A woman driving a Honda Jazz was unable to stop in time and crashed into the side of the Astra.

Hussain, of Carr Manor Drive, Moortown, sped off again and went along Lincoln Street before stopping and running from the car on Beckett Street.

Police caught Hussain after a foot chase and he was arrested.

Mr Mackay said Hussain smelled of cannabis and told police he had driven off as he wasn't insured.

Police found two small bags of cannabis and a further set of false number plates in the car.

Hussain was found to have been driving while over the legal limit for cannabis.

The court heard £3,120 worth of damage was caused to the Honda Jazz, which was written off.

The Astra had been stolen after the keys were taken in a burglary at a house in Gledhow in February 2019.

Hussain admitted dangerous driving, driving over the limit for drugs, possession of cannabis and driving without insurance or a licence.

He has previous convictions for possessing cannabis and affray.

Imran Khan, mitigating, said after leaving school Hussain had joined the family business on Woodhouse Lane before starting work as a chef at a Leeds bar.

Mr Khan said: "He tells me he found somebody selling this vehicle cheap. He panicked and drove away.

"He has changed his ways and changed his friends and he has not driven since."

Jailing Hussain for nine months, Judge Andrew Stubbs QC told him: "For police chases in which collisions occur with members of the public and which red lights are gone through, the only appropriate sentence is one of immediate custody."

Hussain was banned from driving for 22-and-a-half-months.

Police chase Leeds drug driver in stolen car crashed into woman's Honda