Drink-driver crashed into cab

2:34pm Monday 5th May 2008

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A BANNED drink driver who smashed into a taxi while being pursued by police - leaving two people with serious injuries - is facing jail.

Burnley magistrates heard how cabbie Nadeem Azam suffered severe facial injuries and needs reconstructive surgery after Rizwan Shah, 24, hit him head-on, last August.

Shah's passenger had to have an operation and a customer in the taxi was also hurt. Police had been pursuing the defendant, but had stopped and came upon the crash minutes later.

Shah, of Albert Street, Nelson, admitted dangerous driving, drink driving, banned driving and no insurance.

He was committed on bail to be sentenced on June 6 and was given an interim ban.

Andrew Robinson, prosecuting, said the defendant was given a blood test three and a half hours after the crash and it revealed 120 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 mililitres of blood. The legal limit is 80.

David Lawson, defending, said Shah, who had set up a business spraying cars, was reckless but there was no deliberate wickedness.