A disqualified driver who amassed 48 penalty points on his licence has been jailed after leading police on a 14-minute high-speed chase, Bradford Crown Court has heard.
Zakaria Kayat, 43, was sentenced to 14 months in prison after repeatedly driving while disqualified and uninsured, culminating in a pursuit in Dewsbury on 3 January this year.
The court heard Kayat ignored police signals to stop at around 23:00 and drove off, reaching speeds of up to 80mph in 40mph zones, running red lights and nearly causing head-on collisions on two occasions before being stopped. He then attempted to flee on foot but was apprehended.
Judge Geoffrey Marson KC described Kayat history as a “catalogue of motoring offences”, telling him: “At one point you had 48 points on your driving licence. How that came about is beyond understanding.”
Prosecutor Halima Kamran said Kayat had already been stopped by police on three occasions in August and December 2025 while driving despite being disqualified and uninsured.
On 22 August, he was stopped in a Volkswagen Passat and denied knowing he was disqualified. On 3 December, he was stopped again in a Peugeot 208 and claimed he was unintentionally driving while banned. On 21 December, he was seen driving erratically in a Citroen C3 in Ravensthorpe after initially ignoring police.
Kayat later pleaded guilty to all offences.
In mitigation, the court heard he had experienced a difficult period, including being stabbed, becoming homeless and struggling with drug use, but had since engaged with rehabilitation services.
However, Judge Marson said the persistent offending while on bail meant a community order or suspended sentence could not be justified.
He told Kayat: “This pattern of offending discloses to me that there is no realistic prospect of rehabilitation at this stage.”
In addition to the custodial sentence, Kayat was banned from driving for 18 months, with a seven-month extension, and ordered to pay a victim surcharge.