JAILED: Dangerous driver who narrowly avoided head-on smash

Speeding Javed Miah (24), had gone the wrong way on a roundabout, causing the HGV to do an emergency stop to avoid a smash as he cut in front of it.

Miah, whose girlfriend was also in the car, only stopped when police blocked both lanes of Skipton Road in Colne to catch him.

Burnley Crown Court was told Miah, who struck at about 10-20am, when traffic was heavy and pedestrians were about, was subject to a suspended jail term imposed last July, for possessing cocaine. He had 20 offences on his record.

The defendant is now starting a six-month prison sentence, after he had admitted dangerous driving on Skipton Road, Regent Avenue and Langroyd Road, Colne, no licence and no insurance, in breach of the suspended term. Miah, of Grey Street, Burnley, who had been committed for sentence by the town’s magistrates, was disqualified for 15 months.

Mr Peter Brookwell, prosecuting, said last July 20th, the defendant received four months in custody, suspended for two years, for possessing a quarter-of-an-ounce of cocaine.

On November 3rd, at about 10-20am, police received a call from concerned members of the public about a distressed female in Miah’s car.

An officer saw the vehicle going the opposite way on Skipton Road and he turned his vehicle round and went in the same direction, putting on his emergency lights and sirens. The defendant came to a roundabout on Langroyd Road.

Mr Brookwell continued: “Instead of taking left to go round it, he turned right, obviously going on the wrong side of the roundabout, causing a lorry to perform an emergency stop to avoid a collision. He then went round it and drove back to where he came from, travelling off at speed.”

The prosecutor said the officer was concerned giving chase might result in great danger and contacted a colleague. The other officer then parked his car across Skipton Road and blocked Miah in as he careered round the corner. The defendant was arrested.

Mr Richard Taylor, for Miah, said he had no similar previous convictions. There was no accident or injury and it was a short distance. The solicitor added : “He needs to grow up.”

Sentencing, Recorder Timothy Hannam told Miah he “ habitually breached suspended sentences,” and his actions were “ a deliberate piece of bad driving”.

The judge continued: “You were quite content to put other people’s lives at risk, without any regard for them whatsoever and you only stopped because police blocked your way.”

Recorder Hannam added: “The reality is you either didn’t know or didn’t care how serious driving of this type actually is.”