A personal trainer who admitted dangerous driving on a first date that ended in a police car pile-up has been sentenced to one year and two months in a young offenders’ institution.
Mazyar Azarbonyad, 20, was taking a woman home in the early hours of 9 April when his driving triggered a car chase and eventual crash involving five police cars.
Seven officers ended up in hospital, and one of their cars had its roof torn off in the dramatic collision that left debris strewn across the A1 near Newcastle.
At Newcastle Crown Court in April, Azarbonyad admitted a series of driving offences, including driving without insurance several times after the crash, and failing to stop.
The incident happened after police had tried to stop his powerful BMW in the Whickham area of Gateshead because they were concerned about how it was being driven.
Azarbonyad and his female passenger were both uninjured.
The woman, aged in her 20s, was arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting dangerous driving but was later told she would face no further action.
However, Northumbria Police said she remains on bail on suspicion of drug possession.
Pic: PA
Defending, solicitor Jack Lovell had told the court the defendant, of Stanley in County Durham, had shown genuine remorse for his actions.
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