Preston drug driver who led police on 90mph chase before fleeing onto train tracks given suspended sentence
A drug driver reached speeds of up to 90mph as he led police on a chase along the A6 near Preston.
Murad Mohammed, 24, overtook cars on bends and at a blind bridge, Preston Crown Court was told.
The chase ended when Mohammed and his passenger abandoned their black BMW on a housing estate and fled across train tracks and fields before being caught.
Mohammed, of Ringwood Road, Preston, was given a suspended jail sentence.
He had pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, possession of cannabis with intent to supply and possessing cannabis.
The court was told that in September 2023 police officers saw a BMW driving along the A6 in Preston at speed. It overtook a vehicle on a bend and police set off in pursuit.
They lost sight of the BMW in Bilsborrow, even though police were travelling at 60mph. The car was travelling at 80mph on the A6 in a 40mph area, reaching 90mph at one point.It was declared a "high risk" pursuit and the police helicopter was called in.
The BMW was abandoned on an estate called The Sidings and the occupants fled.
Mohammed and his passenger were identified by the helicopter crew and detained.
Mohammed provided a saliva sample which showed he was over the driving limit for cannabis. Drugs and drug paraphernalia was found in the car.
Counsel for Mohammed said he admitted "low level" dealing to his friends. The defendant had been a cannabis addict for many years and was trying to get off the drug.
The court was told Mohammed already had a drug driving conviction and was banned until 2028.
Before sentencing Mohammed, Judge Richard Gioserano queried why it had taken so long for the Crown Prosecution to bring charges.
He said: “I can't for the life in me understand why it took so long to charge him with those offences - 16 months or so.
“It's happening all the time and it places the court in a very difficult position.”
He sentenced Mohammed to a total of 15 months in prison, suspended for two years.
He was also banned from driving for two years and ordered to do 150 hours’ unpaid work.