2:52pm Monday 19th May 2008
By Megi Rychlikova
A DRUGGED-up motorist who caused horrific injuries to a York woman during a law-breaking trans-Pennine journey has been jailed for 18 month.
Suleman Majeed left Donna Tindall with injuries that even surgery could not fix fully after a head-on collision near Hemingborough, York Crown Court heard.
Ms Tindall needed a plate inserting into her collar-bone which was broken in the collision and was lucky to survive the crash, the court heard. "It has not proved to be a complete cure for the problem," said prosecutor Alan Mitcheson at York Crown Court.
Majeed, 23, fled the scene and tried to hide in a barley field but eye-witnesses and police followed him and he was arrested. A blood test revealed he had taken cannabis and diazepam, both of which adversely affect driving.
"It was only luck that the appalling injuries suffered by the victim were not worse or, indeed, that the accident wasn't fatal," defence barrister Emily Lomax said. Mr Mitcheson said Majeed was already serving two driving bans imposed by Bury magistrates in Lancashire for drink driving, driving whilst disqualified and without insurance, when he drove a Rover along motorways from Manchester on May 31 to the A63 near Hemingbrough.
As he drove towards Osgodby, he repeatedly veered across the central reservation and jerked himself back on to the right side of the road. Twice he narrowly avoided collisions.
"It was not possible for the defendant to avoid the third collision," said Mr Mitcheson.
Majeed collided head-on with the Fiat Punto driven by Ms Tindall with two passengers.
His airbag inflated, initially stopping him getting out of his damaged vehicle. When it deflated, he climbed out the window, ignored eyewitness cries to stop and fled to the barley field. He had 22 previous convictions for driving and related offences. Ms Lomax said Majeed had a very poor upbringing and a history of drug taking linked to mental health problems.
Majeed pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, driving while under the influence of drugs and without insurance. He was jailed for 18 months, banned from driving for six years and ordered to take an extended driving test before driving without a supervisor again.
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