"It was an appalling piece of driving."
Saif Ahmed, aged 21, of Bradford, was jailed for 22 months for dangerous driving.
Bradford Crown Court heard that he led police on a 20-minute chase in a stolen car that reached speeds of up to 90mph.
Even though he has not got a licence, Ahmed claimed that he was “one of the best drivers in BD9”.
Ahmed went through several red lights and junctions, went around blind bends on the wrong side of the road and over traffic calming measures at high speed.
He stole a Fiesta from a home in Bingley two days before the pursuit.
Ahmed broke into the house while the owners were asleep and took the keys to the car.
On September 15, 2017, the car was spotted with false number plates by police officers when it turned into Green Lane, Bradford.
The vehicle had been travelling at speed from the Queensbury direction. Officers decided to pursue the car but Ahmed refused to stop.
Police video showed the 15-mile pursuit which involved four police cars.
Ahmed drove towards Halifax and back via Queensbury before hitting a kerb, knocking a wheel off the stolen car and being boxed in.
He was arrested at the scene and complimented the officer who had been pursuing him:
“I’ll give it to him, he’s not a bad driver.”
Judge Jonathan Rose said the maximum he could have jailed Ahmed for was 24 months for the most serious cases “not that I think it’s adequate”.
But because Ahmed “did not, in fact, kill anyone or damage a vehicle” he had to take a lower starting point of 20 months for sentencing.
Judge Rose told Ahmed, whose partner is due to give birth in August:
“You’re due to be blessed with a child.
“How many of the drivers you put at risk have children? How many children may have been left without a parent because [the officers] had to pursue you? You didn’t care.
“It was an appalling piece of driving. It lasted 20 minutes and it would take me 18 minutes to relate every piece of dangerous driving.”
Many drivers coming the other way were “clearly terrified” by the prospect of possible death as they swerved out of Ahmed’s way.
Judge Rose added: “Yet you’re proud of it.
“The message when police put on blue lights and sirens you stop.
“Where there is a speed limit and red lights you abide by them.”
Ahmed was jailed for 22 months for dangerous driving, handling stolen goods, having no insurance and no driving licence and two counts of failing to surrender to custody.
The Telegraph and Argus reported that Ahmed was also banned from driving for 53 months.
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