Driver mounted the pavement near school ‘because he thought police were robbers’
A DERBY driver mounted the pavement in a car near to a primary school to escape police because he said he thought the officers were robbers.
Waqas Ashraf nearly dragged a police officer who was trying to open the car door with him as he shot off after being boxed in by officers in Normanton.
The 27-year-old proceeded to speed through the busy streets of Derby in the VW Golf before ditching the car and making off on foot.
He was found in the passenger seat of another car the same day and later claimed he had driven off because he thought someone was attempting to steal his car.
A hearing at Derby Crown Court on Wednesday was told that police had been looking for the car Ashraf was driving in relation to drugs offences.
James Armstrong-Holmes, prosecuting, said officers had seen the VW Golf in Burton Road shortly before the incident on January 20 this year and had tracked it down to Warner Street.
He said that two unmarked police cars boxed the vehicle in and a plain-clothes officer got out and shouted they were police and for the driver and passenger to get out. “The door was locked and almost as soon as she took hold it began accelerating forward,” Mr ArmstrongHolmes said.
He said the officer was “pulled along” before she let go as the car aimed for a gap between the police cars and a tree using the pavement.
He added this took place “200 metres from a junior school” and at around 3pm in the afternoon.
Mr Armstrong-Holmes said: “If there had been anyone on the pavement, it would have run them over.”
He said the car was later found abandoned in Milton Street after it had been driven off “at speed”.
Ashraf was later found in a black Audi that was registered to an address in the same street as his home.
Ashraf, of Cambridge Street, Normanton, later pleaded guilty to one count of dangerous driving.
Waheed Baber, mitigating, said his client had been under the influence of cannabis at the time of the incident and had thought someone was trying to rob him.
He said: “He is 27 years of age, he has an unenviable previous convictions history, but to his credit he pleaded guilty and he accepts full responsibility for his actions.
“He had been smoking cannabis. The suggestion is that he thought he was about to be robbed.
“When it comes down to the police officer shouting ‘police,’ he says he didn’t hear it.”
Mr Baber said since the incident his client had stopped using cannabis and had gained at job at Marks & Spencer, but has ambitions to work on the railways.
He said he had also repaired his relationship with his family and had their support.
Recorder Simon Gurney said police had described what Ashraf had done as “very dangerous”.
“You were very fortunate indeed that no one was hurt, injured or killed as a result of your driving that day,” he said. “You drove dangerously, you showed a deliberate disregard for the safety of other road users.
“I’ve read the pre-sentence report and taken into account what’s been said on your behalf.”
He added he had read the letter in which Ashraf expressed shame about his behaviour and the impact it had on his mother and sister.
He sentenced Ashraf to 10 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, and ordered him to undertake 200 hours of unpaid work and 15 rehabilitation activity requirement sessions.
He also banned him from driving for 15 months and ordered him to undertake an extended retest to get his licence back.