A white van driver who crashed into a police vehicle following the deployment of a stinger device on the A66 has been imprisoned. Mozafar Shan, 37, had consumed cocaine and was disqualified from driving when he was spotted driving a Ford Transit van on 16 September last year.
When officers positioned themselves behind Shan and signalled for him to stop, he drove through a red traffic light and accelerated away, Teesside Crown Court was told. A police pursuit followed through the South Bank and Grangetown districts at approximately 10pm.
Shan proceeded onto the A66 westbound, and officers deployed a stinger to bring the hazardous motorist to a standstill, Imogen Eastham-Brown, prosecuting, informed the court. The van's front tyres were punctured by the device.
However, Ms Eastham-Brown stated that Shan persisted in his attempts to escape. She said: "He swerved across the carriageway, crashed into a police car and then tried to force his way past it." The police vehicle was "significantly damaged," and over £13,000 was later spent repairing it, the prosecution barrister revealed.
Shan was apprehended, and a roadside examination confirmed he had cocaine in his system.
Prior Convictions
Shan, of Conyers Way in North Ormesby, subsequently admitted to dangerous driving, drug driving, driving while disqualified, and driving without insurance. He has a prior conviction for drug driving after being caught speeding in his Skoda in 2018.
He was under the influence of cocaine and cannabis. The previous year, he was apprehended while driving a Toyota in Marske, with cannabis and a set of digital scales concealed within the glove box.
Back in 2020, Shan received a 15-month custodial sentence for assaulting his sister-in-law, having struck his victim over the head with a hammer. In 2023, he was handed a 30-month driving ban for drug driving.
Sentencing
On Wednesday, Shan appeared before the court to face sentencing for his most recent motoring offences. His barrister, Tom Bennett, informed the court that Shan's girlfriend is currently expecting a child and appealed to the judge to consider a suspended sentence, noting that Shan is now in employment.
Judge Colin Burn told Shan that he had taken into account the fact that he is about to become a father. However, he said: "You badly damaged a police car when officers tried to contain you. You were trying to use the weight of the van you were driving to resist any attempt to take you off the road. You shouldn't have been driving in the first place. You were very, very incapacitated."
Shan was sentenced to 14 months in custody and handed a four-year driving ban. He will be required to sit and pass an extended retest before being permitted to return to the roads.
