Taxi Driver Online

Passenger stole taxi and rammed police car during dangerous chase through Leeds city centre

A passenger stole a taxi driver's cab then rammed a police car during a dangerous pursuit through Leeds city centre.
By Tony Gardner

A judge told Sohail Khan he had an "arrogant disregard" for public safety during the incident as he was jailed for 10 months.

Leeds Crown Court heard Khan was a passenger in a taxi travelling on Whitehall Road on July 9 last year when the vehicle was stopped by police.

Stephen Littlewood, prosecuting, said the taxi driver pulled over and got out of the car to speak to officers.

An officer then noticed Khan acting suspiciously inside the vehicle and place something into the glove box.

The officer told the 23-year-old defendant to get out of the taxi but he locked the doors and climbed into the driver's seat.

Khan then drove off in the taxi and was followed by the officers.

Mr Littlewood said Khan went around a roundabout five times before heading towards Domestic Street in Holbeck.

He went around another roundabout several times before driving the wrong way on a one-way road.

The officers abandoned the pursuit because of the danger it posed to members of the public.

Khan was spotted driving the car back on Whitehall Road a short time later and the pursuit resumed.

The defendant drove on the wrong side of the road but had his path blocked by two other taxis.

Mr Littlewood said the taxi drivers refused to move out of Khan's way when they realised he was involved in a police chase.

Khan tried to drive between the two cars, causing damage to all three vehicles.

He was then blocked in by a police car but Khan tried to ram his way out.

The officers approached Khan in the taxi on foot but he refused to get out and continued to rev the engine.

Mr Littlewood said the officers smashed the window of the vehicle and managed to arrest Khan.

The incident lasted ten minutes in total.

Khan, of Burlington Road, Beeston, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, having no insurance and having no licence.

He has a previous convictions for dangerous driving.

Matthew Harding, mitigating, said Khan pleaded guilty to the offence at an early stage and was sorry for what he had done.

Mr Harding said Khan came for a supportive family and was afraid of going to prison.

Jailing Khan, Judge Robin Mairs said: "You demonstrated a complete and arrogant disregard for any other driver.

"You were quite willing to risk the loss of life or limb and it is only by good fortune that that did not happen."

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IDFIMH

Sounds more like they lost him but used the excuse that they abandoned the pursuit because it endangered the public

But then they spotted him again so it was game on

Sounds like a real headbanger, though