A CAR mechanic with "countless" driving convictions has been jailed for two incidents of dangerous driving within the space of four months.

Prolific offender Mohammed Zaheer had been arrested and bailed over a short-lived piece of dangerous driving near the Alhambra theatre in July, but after he failed to turn up at the magistrates' court he was caught behind the wheel again while he was wanted on warrant.

A judge heard yesterday that the 39-year-old had a record of almost 90 driving offences over a 20-year period.

Prosecutor Clare Walsh told Bradford Crown Court that Zaheer had been banned from driving for five years and jailed for 18 weeks in October last year for yet another offence of driving while disqualified and failing to provide a breath specimen.

In the early hours of July 7 Zaheer was at the wheel of a silver BMW car which was followed by an unmarked police vehicle on Great Horton Road.

Mrs Walsh said Zaheer initially looked as if he was going to pull over for the officer after he illuminated the blue lights on his vehicle, but he then accelerated away through a red light near the Alhambra theatre.

The court heard that Zaheer's vehicle collided with a Volkswagen Golf causing damage to both cars and he was arrested and breathalysed.

Although he gave a positive breath test for alcohol at the roadside Zaheer failed to provide two specimens for analysis at the police station.

Officers also found a small quantity of cannabis in the footwell of the BMW.

Zaheer failed to turn up at court three weeks later after being given bail and last month he was involved in a second police pursuit this time involving the force helicopter.

Mrs Walsh said the defendant was driving a Ford Focus which failed to stop for officers on the evening of November 27 and it was pursued at speeds up to 80mph along various roads in the West Bowling area.

The court heard that Zaheer undertook vehicles at speeds in excess of 65mph on Manchester Road and at one point ignored a "no entry" sign before driving across three lanes of traffic.

The police helicopter was able to track Zaheer on foot after he jumped out of the Ford Focus while it was still moving and he was eventually arrested by officers who found him hiding in a divan bed at his home on Burnett Place.

Zaheer was remanded in custody for sentence by magistrates last month after he admitted a series of charges including two of dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance, failing to stop, failing to provide a breath specimen and failing to surrender to his bail.

Barrister Anastasis Tasou, for Zaheer, said his client's life had been significantly affected following knife-point robbery at his garage which left him needing more than 100 stitches.

Mr Tasou said Zaheer's business failed as a result of him being in hospital for a month and he began drinking and taking cannabis.

He revealed that the defendant's partner was pregnant with their first child and she was due to give birth in April.

Recorder Andrew Haslam described Zaheer's record as "terrible" and said he had left the court with no alternative but to pass an immediate sentence of imprisonment.

The judge imposed a series of consecutive jail terms for the offences totalling 22 months and also banned Zaheer from driving again for five years.

Zaheer must also take a mandatory extended re-test before he can lawfully drive on the roads again.

"The author of the pre-sentence report suggests that custodial sentences have not worked in the past but Mr Zaheer you have been given many chances by the courts in the past and none of those alternatives seem to have worked," said Recorder Haslam.

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