Asylum seeker went wrong way around island to escape police
AN asylum seeker without a driving licence led police on a 15-minute chase through Derbyshire.
Derby Crown Court heard how Klaudio Bajraktari – who had come to the UK to get away from a criminal gang – went the wrong way around a roundabout in a bid to escape from a pursuing patrol car.
He then jumped out of the car and fled on foot but gave himself up after the officer ran after him.
Sending him to a young offenders’ institution for two months, Judge Shaun Smith QC said: “You just turned 20 in August and I am told you came to this country and were effectively trafficked.
“That has led to you to want to get away from the police because you knew you did not have any insurance to drive that car and you class as disqualified because you have not passed a [driving] test.
“In your particular case, it is dangerous driving because you went around the roundabout the wrong way and tried to get away from the police, but no other road users were put in peril and no members of the public were put in peril.”
Lucia Harrington, prosecuting, said the offence took place just after midnight on September 13. Police decided to stop a car being driven by Bajraktari on the A444 at Castle Gresley, but rather than pulling over, he led them on a chase.
Miss Harrington said: “At Castle Road, he went the wrong way around a roundabout. The officer was concerned about other road users and the chase went on along Castle Road. He could see there was also a passenger in the car.
“As the car came to a stop in Ashbourne Drive the defendant alighted and started running down the street.
“The officer shouted for him to stop and began chasing him on foot and eventually the defendant did stop and was arrested.
“The entire event lasted around 15 minutes from start to finish and in his interview he answered ‘no comment’ to the questions he was asked.”
Bajraktari, of no fixed address and who was helped at the hearing by an Albanian interpreter, admitted dangerous driving, failing to stop for an officer, driving without a licence and driving without insurance. He has no previous convictions either in the UK or in his home country, the hearing was told.
John Livingston, mitigating, said his client had pleaded guilty to all offences at the earliest opportunity.
He said: “He has made an application under the National Referral Mechanism for asylum as the reason he came to this country is because effectively in Albania he was approached when he was just 17 by what turned out to be a criminal gang. They got him to do some jobs for them and when he objected he was threatened.”
As well as the custodial sentence, Bajraktari was disqualified from driving for 13 months.