A UNLICENSED drink-driver who led police on a high-speed chase through Blackburn and gave officers a fake name has avoided prison ‘by a whisker’ because a judge heard he cares for his elderly parents.

Preston Crown Court was told police encountered 21-year-old Mahtab Hanif driving at a crawl the wrong way around the Eanam roundabout in a red Renault Clio at 2.10am on November 6.

Prosecuting, Mercedeh Jabbari said officers tried to signal to Hanif that he was going the wrong way.

Hanif ignored this and they turned on their lights and sirens and attempted to stop the Clio because he looked clearly intoxicated.

Ms Jabbari said: “The vehicle then headed off the roundabout onto Lower Eanam towards Salford. Upon immediately leaving the roundabout it was clear the defendant’s driving became erratic and a pursuit ensued.

“The vehicle was making off at some excessive speed – far in excess of 30mph. Officers followed the Renault which was on the wrong side of the road, cutting across the corner onto the wrong side of Penny Street, speeding off along Penny Street up a bus lane and back towards Barbara Castle Way.”

Hanif then ran a red light at the junction with Barbara Castle Way, nearly hitting a taxi.

The court heard that the pursuit continued onto Whalley New Road, the site where nine-year-old Adam Limbada was killed by a speeding motorist in 2016, and the officer noticed he was doing 76mph in the 30mph zone just to keep up with Hanif.

Ms Jabbari said as they ended up around Walnut Street the officer briefly lost sight of the Renault on a bend but as he caught up to the speeding vehicle he noticed Hanif make a sudden right turn under a railway bridge. As the officer followed, an oncoming vehicle had to make a sudden stop to allow the police car to pass.

Eventually, the Renault did stop in Bay Street and when Hanif ignored three requests to both turn off the engine and post the keys through the driver’s side window, police deployed their PAVA spray. After getting out of the car, Hanif attempted to run off but was chased and tackled to the ground.

Hanif was said to be so unsteady on his feet because of his intoxication that officers had to “pour him” into the back of the police van.

The defendant initially provided the false name of Atab Hanif and it wasn’t until he got to the Greenbank custody suite that officers discovered his true identity and that he was only in possessing of a provisional driving licence.

When he was searched police found two bags of cannabis, one in his clothing and the other down his underwear.

Ms Jabbari said: “The defendant was interviewed and it is fair to say he did make full and frank admissions. He conceded that at the time he’d had quite a substantial amount to drink, he’d had some sort of disagreement with his brother and he decided to pick up his sister’s car keys and go for a drive. He said that during the course of that journey he bought a further bottle of vodka and consumed that.

“What he did say is that he didn’t recollect any police when he was driving and didn’t recollect being on Eanam or upon the roads at all. In conclusion he said he was ashamed and sorry for those offences.”

Hanif was breathalysed and provided a reading of 88 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath against the legal limit of 35.

Hanif, of Goldhey Street, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to drink driving, dangerous driving, driving without a licence and insurance and possession of a class B drug.

Defending, Daniel Harman said mercifully the roads were extremely quiet and the chances of a collision were low. He said any jail sentence would not only have an impact on his client, who has no previous convictions, but also on his relatively elderly parents for whom he was the full-time carer for – doing all the shopping, cleaning, heavy lifting and cooking.

Mr Harman said: “This whole experience has had a rather salutary effect on him. He is very candid in the pre-sentence report and states that he was using a lot of cannabis at the time and he was drinking a lot. He states that since this has happened he has knocked that on the head, is trying to better himself and turn his life around and is trying to get away from the drink and drugs. Because ultimately it is that which has led to the commission of this rather out-of-character offence.

“It is not unusual for young people of good character to find themselves in court for offences like this that seem to come out of the blue, as a 20-year-old with not even a reprimand or a caution against their name previously, who think it’s a good idea in some youthful exuberance to get in a car when they have had a drink.”

Sentencing Hanif to 10 months in custody but suspending it for two years, Judge Philip Parry said: “You claim to recall little, if anything from the moment of your appalling driving through to you being arrested and put into a police cell. Well I find that a complete nonsense. You’re just not owning up.

“It would seem to me there are factors present here which would indicate that it is appropriate to suspend that 10-month sentence, including the prospect of rehabilitation and that it would be harmful for your mother if I was to send you to prison. But you have come within a whisker of going to prison.”

Hanif was ordered to do a drink-drive education programme, made subject of a three-month curfew, order to undertake 150 hours of unpaid work and pay £450 prosecution costs.

He was also banned from driving for two years.