A RECKLESS driver who ran over a cricket player before fleeing from the scene has been jailed. 

Mohammed Khan crushed Ayyub Umar’s leg while he was keeping wicket during a game of street cricket, before stopping his car, looking back at the man lying in the street and taking off. 

Burnley Crown Court heard how this event acted as a catalyst for Khan, who then embarked on a six-week-period of driving offences. 

Between August and October of 2017, Khan was found to have perverted the course of justice by giving officers fake licence details, led a patrol car on a chase around Burnley town centre and run over Mr Umar’s leg. 

Speaking about the first offence, prosecutor Stephen Parker said: “The defendant’s driving in this case was reckless, after he hit Mr Umar, he carried on driving. 

“He accepts that there was a game of cricket going on in the street, but rather than alert the players to his presence, he tried to drive around them. The complainant stepped back into the path of Mr Khan’s vehicle and was knocked to the ground.

“He did not stop and he continued to drive, regardless of the fact that Mr Umar’s leg was under the car.

“The consequence of Mr Khan hitting him was the breaking of his leg.”

It was heard how Mr Umar did not know Khan, but recognised him from seeing him around and was able to tell police about his whereabouts. When officers later visited his home they found the car, a Honda Civic, hidden in a garage near his home address.

They also recovered £635 cash from inside his home. 

A number of weeks later, a patrolling police car tried to pull Khan over after he was spotted driving a Volkswagen Golf in Burnley town centre.

But rather than stop, Khan led police on a chase around the centre. 

Mr Parker said: “When he was asked to stop the vehicle, he began to drive in a dangerous manner. 
“Police recall the defendant reaching speeds of up to 40mph on Hammerton Street, which is one-way, and mounting the pavement with all four wheels. It was at this stage that police deemed the chase too dangerous and abandoned the pursuit.”

Khan only stopped when he crashed the car into a wall near Burnley College, with witnesses describing him as missing a group of college students by a matter of inches as he zoomed past. 

He once again fled from the scene, this time on foot.

Just six days later, Khan was stopped by police again. He pulled over in the Mercedes he was driving and gave officers his brother’s name and address instead of his own when they asked for licence details. 

It was only a number of weeks later when his brother received a letter through the door that Khan was foiled, and forced to own up.

Defending Khan, Mark Stewart said: “This is a defendant who has been lightly convicted for 28. He only has one previous driving conviction and one previous charge of assault.

“He has worked the majority of his adult life, and character references describe him as a good man. He also spends a lot of time caring for his mother.

“His local MEP and councillor have written references for him, and they describe Mr Khan as a man of integrity and honour.
“He has not committed any further offences since October 2017.”

Sentencing Khan to two years’ imprisonment, Judge Andrew Woolman said: “You are 28 years old, you are not a teenager any more.

“I do bear in mind that all of these offences were committed suddenly, but I have come to the conclusion that you must be jailed for these offences.”

Khan was jailed after pleading guilty to one count of dangerous driving, one count of driving without due care and attention, one count of grievous bodily harm, one count of driving while uninsured and one count of perverting the course of justice. 

He was also disqualified from driving, and the £635 seized by officers from his home will be given to Mr Umar as compensation.