A DRIVER who crashed his sister’s Audi A3 through a fence during a high speed police chase has been locked up for six months.

Sentencing Ali Khalid, the Recorder of Bradford, Judge Roger Thomas QC, said: “This is yet another case of a young man getting into a powerful car, racing around and creating real danger for the people of this city.”

Khalid, of Thornton Lane, Little Horton, Bradford, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and driving without insurance, shortly after midnight on December 28 last year.

Prosecutor Robert Galley told Bradford Crown Court that Khalid took his sister’s Audi A3 without permission from outside the family home.

He had two friends with him in the vehicle when police spotted it travelling at speed on Brassey Road, East Bowling.

They pursued the Audi along New Hey Road, Leicester Street and Balfour Street until Khalid lost control and smashed through a fence into a parked car. He ran off but then returned to the scene and admitted he was the driver.

Mr Galley said it was icy at the time of the police chase and Khalid was going so fast that when he struck a speed bump, the car took off.

Khalid’s sister told the police she left the vehicle secure and the key was in the house at 10pm that night. Khalid, 20, was not insured to drive the Audi and did not have permission to take it.

He was originally charged with aggravated vehicle taking but that charge was dropped at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates Court.

The court heard in mitigation that Khalid, who was from a good family and hoped to go to university, had acted stupidly that night.

There was no drink or drugs involved and he told his probation officer he was doing a maximum of 35mph.

Khalid said he borrowed the car to go to work at a takeaway and was just moving it round the corner when he came to the attention of the police.

Judge Thomas said that a District Judge at the magistrate’s court had deemed the case serious enough to be sent to the crown court.

“There is concern in this city about young men in powerful cars racing around the city centre causing damage, injury and even worse than that,” Judge Thomas said.

He sentenced Khalid to six months detention in a young offender institution and banned him from driving for 15 months.

Judge Thomas warned that the courts’ response to such behaviour was to send offenders into immediate custody.

“I hope that sooner rather than later this message finally reaches the ear of people like you and this sort of driving comes to an end in this city,” he said.

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