A teenage biker reached speeds of 130mph during a police chase through Loughborough and down the M1. Uninsured Abdurrahmaan Zanan had a pillion passenger on his bike at the time of the high-speed pursuit.
The 19-year-old, who also only had a provisional licence for the 600c Honda bike, was spotted by police just after midnight on Tuesday, December 10 in Loughborough’s Ashby Road when he saw Zanan’s passenger pay close attention to the officers’ car. After being followed by police for some time, Zanan then sped up and broke the 40mph speed limit before the pursuit was authorised.
Prosecutor Sally Bedford told Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (January 2) that Zanan did not stop. She said: “The bike didn’t pull over and now it was a police pursuit. It went at least 80mph in Ashby Road, which has a 50mph limit, and went through a red traffic light approaching the roundabout at Junction 23.”
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She said the bike jumped another red light before joining the M1 motorway. Here, it reached speeds of 130mph, speeding past other traffic on the M1 while the police car continued to follow the bike.
The powerful 600c Honda then came off at Junction 22 and sped through Markfield down the A50, jumping further red lights, and on the way to Leicester reached 110mph in the 40mph zone. Ms Bedford said: “The officer said there was a high risk of injury or death at that speed.”
Zanan went onto the A46 and reached 130mph again as he sped towards the Hobby Horse Roundabout at Syston, where he finally pulled over, just after jumping another red light.
Ms Bedford said: “There are a number of agravating factors. It’s a police pursuit, he’s uninsured, unqualified and doing extremely high speeds and there was a pillion passenger on the bike.”
Zanan appeared at Leicester Magistrates Court
(Image: Joe Giddens/PA Wire)
Ziyad Lunat, representing Zanan, of Prospect Hill, Spinney Hills, Leicester, said his client had been home schooled and, ending up with no qualifications, been working in a pub kitchen since he was 16. He said his boss at the pub in Market Harborough had sacked him after his arrest.
He said: “He accepts this was risky behaviour. He explained to the police he panicked, knowing he didn’t have a licence or insurance. He’s only 19 so clearly there’s a lack of maturity there.”
At court, Zanan admitted dangerous driving and having no insurance or proper licence for the bike. Magistrates decided to adjourn sentencing until a pre-sentence report about Zanan could be completed. He was given an interim ban, forbidding him from driving any powered vehicles on public roads.