AN UNINSURED and banned driver who had to be rescued by the police when he was trapped in his smoking car has been jailed for 18 months.

Inshaal Saleem was on a court order for driving dangerously when his vehicle skidded and dropped three feet over a wall during a police pursuit.

Saleem, 21, of Parson Street, Keighley, had to be pulled from the smoking Peugeot 207 by traffic officers.

The police were fearful that the vehicle was about to catch fire, the court heard on Thursday.

He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and driving without a licence and insurance on October 5 last year.

Bradford Crown Court heard that he was already on a community order imposed by Bradford and Keighley magistrates on September 9, 2020, for dangerous driving and drug driving on July 2 last year.

And after his arrest for the October offences, Saleem was caught driving a Nissan Micra in Bradford on February 28 while disqualified and uninsured.

Prosecutor Paul Canfield said it was shortly before midnight on October 5 when Saleem accelerated away from the police on Oakworth Road in Keighley.

They activated their sirens and blue lights and gave chase as he sped off at 60mph in a 30 zone and ran red lights at the junction with North Street.

Mr Canfield told how the Peugeot went through a pedestrian only zone, dodged between bollards and went down a footpath towards Keighley Bowling Green.

Officers gave chase on foot as the car skidded on the grass before falling three feet over a wall and landing on its side.

There were two passengers in the crashed vehicle, the court was told.

The police pulled Saleem to safety but had to smash windows to get one of his passengers out, fearing the car was about to catch fire.

Saleem was in pain and in and out of consciousness, Mr Canfield said. He was taken to hospital with an injured knee.

One of his passengers said: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” to the police and told Saleem he should have stopped.

The court heard that Saleem was banned from driving for two years following the offences last July.

He overtook a heavy goods vehicle dangerously and drove on the wrong side of the road, ignoring a Keep Left sign.

Then on February 28, his 21st birthday, he was caught driving on the Shipley/Airedale Road in Bradford.

This time, he stopped his vehicle and admitted to the police that he was illegally behind the wheel.

In mitigation, the court heard that Saleem now realised how serious the offences were.

After a difficult start in life, he had obtained work at KFC and settled down with his partner and their young daughter.

He was very willing to comply with any alternatives to a custodial sentence.

But Judge Andrew Hatton said the offences were so serious that only an immediate prison sentence was appropriate.

Saleem had committed the second offence of dangerous driving just 26 days after the community order was imposed for the first offence.

He was jailed for a total of 18 months and banned from driving for two years and nine months.