A university student who was banned from the roads has been jailed after he was captured driving away from court just moments after the punishment was imposed.
Saif Shaikh was pictured by the Manchester Evening News getting into his Volkswagen Polo GTI after leaving Manchester Crown Court on 1 May.
Just days later, he appeared before Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court where he claimed that he didn't understand the disqualification.
Shaikh, who is in the middle of a business, finance and accounting degree, admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving on Wednesday. His case was adjourned for a report to be prepared before sentencing but Judge Timothy Smith put a verbal interim disqualification in place.
Advert
Just moments later he was spotted walking 50 yards from the court building to the car park before driving away.
Shaikh, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, was arrested again and brought before a District Judge where he was jailed for 12 weeks for offences of driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.
The M.E.N reported that DJ James Hatton told him: "Probation have told me you have expressed remorse but at the same time you have sought to blame others and sought to avoid culpability.
"You were well aware you were disqualified from driving. You were given that indication by a crown court judge but you chose for reasons best known to yourself to immediately leave the court building and get into your car and drive the not inconsiderable distance to your home address.
Advert
"It's difficult to image a more flagrant breach of a court order."
He continued: "You seem to come from a good, supportive family. You are a university student and you seem to have a number of things going for you but this is an offence which is so serious that only a custodial sentence is appropriate."
Shaikh, a student at Manchester Metropolitan University, was initially charged after he was involved in a collision with a woman on 18 November last year.
Advert
The court heard how the woman had been visiting her son, who is in permanent care at Manchester Royal Infirmary, on the day of the accident.
Shaikh is still set to be sentenced at Manchester Crown Court on June 14 for the first offence.
Topics: News, crime, Manchester, UK
