Student with 'fear of police' drove wrong way down 70mph dual carriageway in Washington

Reckless Muhammad Alam, 26, sped his VW Polo along the A182 Washington Highway after first fooling police into thinking he would stop.

After finally pulling over on a slip road – facing into oncoming traffic – on Sunday, September 22, he fled on foot, but was detained.

The Pakistani national, of Wyrley Road, Witton, near Birmingham, claimed he was worried his arrest would see him taken away and beaten.

He said family members in his home country had been arbitrarily arrested and attacked by police – and he feared the same treatment from British officers.

At South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court, District Judge Zoe Passfield jailed Alam for 24 weeks, suspended for 18 months.

The judge told him: “This was a serious offence. You or any person could have been killed or seriously injured as a result of your driving.”

But she stopped short of an immediate prison term, saying it would have a “catastrophic” impact on his studies, his visa and his family.

Prosecutor Reece Williams said: “An officer had followed the defendant and activated his blue lights on three occasions.

“The defendant gave the impression that he was going to slow down to stop, but when he did so, he then sped up.

“He drove around a roundabout the wrong way and entered the dual carriageway the wrong way.

“He then drove on the A182, which is 70mph, on the wrong side. He subsequently stopped the vehicle on a slip road.

“He was found shortly after. He made full and frank admissions.

“The dangerous driving was driving some distance with dangerous manoeuvres.

“This carries a starting point of 36 weeks custody to 18 months custody.

“It’s an obligatory disqualification of one year, with a compulsory re-test required.”

Alam, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to charges of dangerous driving and failing to stop for police.

The court heard he is a second-year advanced computer science research student at a university in Hertfordshire.

He had moved from Pakistan for his studies and committed his offences while visiting his brother in Gateshead.

Angus Westgarth, defending, said Alam was genuinely remorseful and had been “naïve” in his view of British police.

Mr Westgarth added: “There’s clearly a cultural shortfall in his thinking.

“He relayed to me that ‘in my country’, and it hasn’t happened to him personally, he’s had family taken away and beaten up.

“His wasn’t a fast takeaway, he was in a VW Polo. He’s made a dreadful mistake. He thought the police were like the police where he was.

“He recognised straight away that it was a bad move. He was quite fearful. His family are very proud that he’s trying to forge a way in life.”

Judge Passfield also banned Alam from driving for 18 months and he must pay a £154 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.