Birmingham student sentenced after driving car wrong way down 70 mph dual carriageway

A Birmingham student has been sentenced after driving his car the wrong way down a 70mph dual carriageway.

Muhammad Alam, a Pakistani national living in Witton, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to charges of dangerous driving and failing to stop for police.

According to Sunderland Echo, the 26-year-old student drove his VW Polo down the A182 Washington Highway after pretending to stop for police officers.

After driving down the road, he pulled over in a lay-by where he exited the car and tried to run off on foot before being caught and detained.

However, Alam, who has no previous charges, told officers that he ran away due to his “fear of police”. He said he believed he would be taken away and beaten, saying he knew of family members who had experienced this in his home country.

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

Mr Williams added that Alam made “full and frank admissions” when he spoke to police about the incident, and continued by saying: “This carries a starting point of 36 weeks custody to 18 months custody.

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

South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court also heard how Alam is in his second year of a computer science degree at a university in Hertfordshire, and that he’d committed the crime whilst visiting his brother in Gateshead.

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For the defence, Angus Westgarth said his client was genuinely remorseful about what had occurred, explaining Alam was “naive” in his view of police in the UK.

He 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.”

He was sentenced to 24 weeks in jail, suspended for 18 months by District Judge Zoe Passfield.

The judge explained that she suspended his sentence as it would have a “catastrophic” impact on his studies, his visa and his family.

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

Alam was also banned from driving for 18 months and has been ordered to pay a £154 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.