First-date drive results in carnage and jail time

A GYM worker left seven police officers injured after doing an emergency stop during a "hair-raising" Al pursuit in which he reached speeds of more than 120mph.

- ROB KENNEDY

Mazyar Azarbonyad was on a first date when he got behind the wheel of a BMW X5 to take the woman home despite having only a provisional driving licence, no insurance, eight points on his licence and having had only three driving lessons.

When police spotted him speeding and with a defective light and missing number plate, they tried to pull him over.

After initially appearing to comply and stopping, he told his date “nah” and made off at speed as the officer approached on foot.

He then later failed to pull over a second time, leading to a high speed pursuit on the Al in Newcastle, with tactical pursuit officers chasing him.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that as they sought to contain him, he gave up the chase but slammed on the brakes in an emergency stop, going from 119mph to a standstill within metres.

One of the pursuing police cars failed to stop in time, colliding heavily with the vehicles in front of him, which had stopped, the court heard.

The “catastrophic” collision left several police officers unconscious and injured, caused extensive damage to police vehicles and led to “regional traffic chaos and misery”.

Now Azarbonyad, 20, of Sylvia Terrace, Stanley, County Durham, who admitted dangerous diving, two counts of failing to stop, driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence and having no insurance, along with further offences of driving otherwise in accordance with a licence and having no insurance in subsequent days, has been locked up for 14 months.

Jolyon Perks, prosecuting, said it was at around 1.50am on April 9 that a police officer saw a BMW X5 being driven by Azarbonyad at speed on Swalwell Bank.

Having made off from the attempt to question him, police caught up with him at around 2.25am and he again made off at speed.