A 23-YEAR-old Bradford driver has been jailed for seven years after fleeing the scene of two separate accidents in which two people were left with serious injuries.

Waqas Hussain appeared at Bradford Crown Court yesterday having pleaded guilty to two charges of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

The court heard that Hussain had driven at high speeds through the streets of Bradford while under the influence of alcohol before crashing his vehicles in the two incidents - one in July last year and one in February this year.

Judge David Hatton QC said Hussain had taken part in a “deliberate, sustained and prolonged course of dangerous driving” and had not the “slightest care” for the injured people he left at the accident scenes.

Judge Hatton said he was handing Hussain the maximum sentence he could under the guidelines as the seriousness of the offences justified it.

The court heard how Hussain, who did not have a driving licence, was wanted by police for the July accident in Clayton, when he was arrested after a lengthy high-speed police pursuit in February.

Prosecutor Richard Walters described how Hussain had driven to Leeds with Ammarah Hussain on July 17.

She described Hussain as appearing “stoned” and that he was drinking vodka both while they were in Leeds, and in the car on the return journey later that day, as well as smoking cannabis while at the wheel.

At around 9.45pm Hussain met friends in another vehicle and the two cars were described by Miss Hussain as “driving like lunatics”, Mr Walters said.

CCTV footage showed Hussain’s VW Golf followed by a Seat Leon on Bradford Road in Clayton driving at an estimated speed of 84mph in an apparent race.

“He lost control and struck the pavement before hitting a tree, a postbox and a garage,” said Mr Walters.

Witnesses gave differing accounts of whether Hussain tried to help his female passenger, who was unconscious, he added.

But after five minutes he fled the scene, leaving Miss Hussain with multiple injuries including a broken wrist and foot, a dislocated elbow and damage to the pancreas and bowel.

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The court heard that Hussain, of Spencer Road, Lidget Green, remained “at large” until February 26 this year, when he was spotted by police on patrol in Dewsbury in the early hours of the morning.

He was behind the wheel of another VW Golf and drove towards Heckmondwike and then Chain Bar roundabout before reaching the Shearbridge area of Bradford at such high speeds that police vehicles driving at up to 80mph were unable to keep up with him.

Hussain also turned his car’s lights off for some of the chase, Mr Walters added, and the force’s helicopter was employed to help track him down.

Police eventually caught up with Hussain’s vehicle near Great Horton Road, and in his efforts to evade police he “effectively mowed down” two pedestrians on Summerville Road in Shearbridge.

The car was significantly damaged, forcing Hussain to stop. He and his passenger fled on foot before being caught and arrested.

One of the pedestrians, 54-year-old restaurant worker Majid Abdul, was so seriously injured it was at first thought he would not survive.

His extensive injuries included a broken arm, six broken ribs, a broken metatarsal and a punctured lung.

Hussain was also charged with driving without a licence and insurance, being over the drink drive limit and failing to stop, to which he pleaded guilty.

Mohammed Nawaz, defending, said Hussain had “failed to appreciate just how serious his actions and driving were”.

“It could have been far more serious for the injured people and himself as well.”

He added that the two months he had spent on remand had given his client time to reflect on his behaviour and that he was remorseful

Judge Hatton said of the July incident: “You appeared to race with another person. You drove at very great speeds in a thoroughly dangerous manner without any thought whatsoever for the safety of members of the public.”

Of the February incident, he added: “In an attempt to evade the police you were driving at such speeds that they couldn’t safely keep up with you. Much of that driving was performed with the lights switched off.

As well as the lengthy jail term, Hussain was disqualified from driving for seven and a half years.

PC Richard Hirst, of West Yorkshire Police’s Western Area Roads Policing Unit, said: “The fact that Hussain fled both collisions shows how little concern he had for the people he seriously injured through his dangerous driving.”

He added: “This case demonstrates the consequences of what can happen when a vehicle is driven in a dangerous manner and I hope it will serve as a warning to other motorists.”