A COURIER who endangered the lives of two police officers when he sped off during a late-night confrontation in Bradford city centre has been jailed for six months.

Amir Zakryah mounted the kerb on Manchester Road and accelerated away, narrowly missing two moped riders, Bradford Crown Court heard THURSDAY.

Zakryah, 27, of Moore Avenue, Wibsey, Bradford, was following his wife across the city after she set off to her mother’s home following a domestic argument on August 2.

Prosecutor, Philip Adams, said Zakryah, who ran his own courier business, was pursuing his wife’s Seat Leon in his VW Golf.

When she stopped at a red light near The Alhambra Theatre, he pulled up alongside her.

She had called the police and a patrol car stopped in front of the two vehicles. Its lights were flashing and both officers were in uniform.

Zakryah saw them approaching his vehicle on foot and reversed rapidly towards oncoming traffic. When an officer smashed the driver’s window of the Golf with his baton, the defendant first covered his head to avoid the glass and then sped off, mounting the kerb and damaging the rear of the police vehicle.

Mr Adams said Zakryah surrendered himself to the police the next day.

He said he wanted to speak to his wife and panicked when he saw the police officers running towards him.

Zakryah’s solicitor advocate, Assumpta O’Rourke, said he had no previous convictions and the offence was totally out of character.

He had pleaded guilty to driving dangerously during a short-lived incident after an argument with his wife. He did not intend to cause any damage or to endanger the lives of the officers.

Zakryah’s would be unable to continue to run his courier business because he would lose his driving licence.

Judge Jonathan Rose said Zakryah took a domestic argument on to the streets of Bradford.

He put the lives of two police officers in jeopardy after they had stopped his vehicle.

“You knew full well then that the game was up and there was no need to do anything further,” Judge Rose said.

He added: “Dangerous driving is a blight on this city and dangerous drivers will go to prison.”

Zakryah was banned from driving for two years and three months and the judge made a Deprivation Order on the VW Golf.