Ballymena motorist's vehicle 'threw up cloud of dust' as he sped off from police
A motorist swerved into the centre of a road throwing up a cloud of dust as he sped off from police.
On April 14 this year the defendant was in a Honda Civic in Shanlieve in Ballymena. Police followed behind.
After turning onto Antrim Road the defendant - Anwar Iqbal (38), of Clarence Street in Ballymena - "immediately increases speed, swerves into the central hatch road marking, throwing up dust and dirt in a cloud".
He then drove on the wrong side of the road towards oncoming traffic before narrowly missing a lorry at the the town's Seven Towers Roundabout.
Police activated blue lights and sirens. He was serving in and out of traffic. On the M2B motorway he was undertaking vehicles and at one stage he used the centre line to pass between two vehicles.
He was going over 80mph. Police lost sight of the car but it was later discovered parked at Pennybridge Industrial Estate in Ballymena.
The defendant was at Ballymena Magistrates Court for sentencing on charges of dangerous driving; failing to stop for police; absence of MOT and having defective tyres.
A defence barrister said it had been "atrocious" driving and the risks were "frightening". The defendant was remorseful, the lawyer said.
The defendant had been in his mother's vehicle and had gone to an address to deliver a Get Well card but he "noticed another vehicle" and believed he was being "pursued by a third party".
District Judge Nigel Broderick said the defendant was fortunate not to have caused serious injury with the "quite atrocious" driving.
He said there was every reason why the defendant should be jailed as he had 43 previous offences, many of which relate to driving offences.
The defendant was given an 18 months Enhanced Combination Order including Probation and 100 hours of Community Service. He was also banned from driving for two years.