Speeding driver led police on Bridgeman Street, Bolton chase

Officers had already been on their way to deal with another dangerous driver at around 7.30pm on March 5 this year when they came across 24-year-old Saklain Abbas.

Bolton Crown Court heard how they saw him speeding through Great Lever in a Volkswagen Golf.

Prosecutor Alison Mather said: “They were out attending another incident of dangerous driving.

“While they were on the way they saw the defendant on Bridgeman Street driving at excessive speeds.”

The case was heard at Bolton Crown Court (Image: Newsquest)

Abbas stopped at a red light before speeding of again and a chase ensured reaching speeds of more than 60mph.

Footage played to the court showed how much dangerous other road users could have been put in as Abbas, of Victoria Road, Farnworth, sped away.

Ms Mather said: “One can see that there are pedestrians on the street, it has passed through residential areas.”

Abbas was eventually brought to a stop after crashing into parked cars, but Ms Mather said she had no details about the level of damage caused.

Brought before the magistrates court he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving.

Harriet Lavin, defending, said that Abbas had “many positives” about his character and that he deserved credit for pleading guilty.

She said he was the “sole provider” for his family and pointed to a supportive character reference about the defendant sent to the court by a solicitor.

Judge Abigail Hudson accepted that the 24-year-old had accepted responsibility for the damage he had caused.

But she described Abbas’s actions as “what can only be described as an appalling piece of driving.”

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She also pointed out that the crash he caused had damaged two cars.

Judge Hudson said: “You are well aware, as am I, that it was just vehicles that you hit on this occasion, but it could just as easily have been people or vehicles with people in them.”

She added: “Had you done that you could have killed someone.”

Judge Hudson sentenced Abbas to 12 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and ordered him to complete 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days with 250 hours of unpaid work.

She also hit him with a 12-month driving ban.