CONCERNED father Sarfraz Khan drove his sister's car on a mercy mission to visit his critically-ill baby despite a driving ban, a court was told.

Blackburn magistrates heard that the child had been born prematurely and had only recently been given the all-clear after an eight-month battle for survival.

But the court was told that Khan had failed to turn up at court on three separate occasions in recent months and he was remanded in custody until July 23 when matters will be finalised.

Khan, 21, of Nottingham Street, Blackburn, had pleaded guilty on previous occasions to assaulting Roxanne Clayton, driving while disqualified and document offences.

Libby Reed, prosecuting, said the assault involved a girl who was pregnant. There had been an argument between her and Khan and he had slapped her.

When he was stopped on the disqualified driving matter in Haslingden Road, Khan had run off but was caught.

Basharat Ditta, defending, said the assault had been against a young lady who had been saying that Khan's brother was the father of her unborn child. That was not true and they had argued. Shortly after, Khan's own child was born prematurely and the baby spent the first seven months of his life in hospital.

On the night of the disqualified driving offence, Khan had received a call to go to the hospital urgently and had jumped in his sister's car and driven the short distance from Audley to Queen's Park Hospital.

"I have confirmation from the hospital that the baby was transferred the very next day to St Mary's in Manchester for further treatment," said Mr Ditta. "The last eight months have been a nightmare for my client. There were times when it was touch and go whether the baby would survive."