Credit: Oliver Moore
A Dewsbury man involved in a police chase has been disqualified from driving for three years and ordered to complete 225 hours of unpaid work after pleading guilty to dangerous driving and driving under the influence of drugs.
Usman Zamir, 34, of Savile Town, Dewsbury, who did not have a UK driving licence, appeared for sentencing before Kirklees Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to five driving offences. All charges relate to a 2020 arrest in which Mr. Zamir was charged with dangerous driving, driving without insurance, driving without a licence, driving with excessive amounts of cannabis and cocaine in his system.
The court heard that at 1:40pm on the 29 March 2020, Mr. Zamir was seen doing a manoeuvre near the Dewsbury ring road that caught the attention of Police Constable Phillips. The officer signalled for Usman Zamir to pull over. Probation officers then stated that due to the excess amount of drugs in his system from the night before, the defendant panicked and sped off, inciting a police chase in Dewsbury.
The Volkswagen reached speeds of 67mph on a road that has a speed limit of 30mph, before failing to keep left at a traffic island and overtaking a marked police van at 50mph on a right-hand bend. The defendant’s car then mounted the curb along Eightlands Road and forced a pedestrian to jump aside to avoid the vehicle.
Officer Phillips’ car had to race to keep up with Mr. Zamir, before managing to overtake the defendant and forcing him to stop. The defendant then got out and ran about 80 meters before being arrested for dangerous driving and subsequently testing more than 0.5 milligrams above the legal limit for cannabis and 150 milligrams above the legal limit for cocaine.
Following the arrest, Mr. Zamir flew to Pakistan to look after his grandma, causing a major delay to the case. While out of the UK, Mr. Zamir took part in an arranged marriage and fathered a child. He returned to England in March 2025 and was arrested at Manchester Airport.
After taking time to deliberate, the magistrates sentenced Mr. Zamir to an 18-month, high level community order as an alternative to a prison sentence. As part of the community order, the defendant must complete up to 225 hours of unpaid work, as well as 15 days’ rehabilitation.
Mr. Zamir was also disqualified from driving for three years and was ordered to pay £85 to the court, along with a surcharge of £90, totalling £175 in fines.