Tariq Zaman sentenced to 20 months for dangerous driving

A 42-year-old man from Medlicott Road in Birmingham has been sentenced to 20 months in prison for dangerous driving.

Tariq Zaman is also required to pay a victims’ surcharge of £156 and has been disqualified from holding a driving license for 34 months and until an extended competence test has been passed.

Watch the pursuit here: https://youtu.be/k-NKhUil1bo

On 21 July 2022 at around 11:45pm, following a request to stop by an officer, Zaman pretended to comply before launching his Peugeot 407 Estate at high speeds through Kenilworth.

During nearly ten minutes of a chase through Kenilworth towards Balsall Common, the driver drove on the wrong side of the road at high speeds; swerved to avoid oncoming traffic; and visibly nearly lost control of the vehicle at various points.

At one point, Zaman hit speeds of 68mph in the 30 zone outside of a primary school on Clinton Lane in Kenilworth; at another, he hit 80mph in a 40 on Birmingham Road towards Balsall Common.

When Zaman took a turn down the wrong side of the A452 dual carriageway, police had to pursue on a parallel road to reduce risk to other road users.

Zaman then took a wrong turn onto a building site and ended up confronted with a closed road, at which point he jumped out of the car and attempted a cross-country escape.

He was found not long afterwards perching on a pile of rubble nearby, inside an empty shell of a building.

During his arrest, Zaman asked officers “What did you think of my driving?”

On being told it was poor, Zaman (who less than 30 minutes before had been hurtling the wrong way down the A452 with very little control of his vehicle) asked “Why was it poor?”.

On 17 January 2024, Tariq Zaman was sentenced to 20 months in prison for dangerous driving at Warwick Crown Court.

Investigating officer DC Samir Hassan said “Zaman had a clear and flagrant disregard for the safety of the people of Kenilworth and Balsall Common.

“This chase involved so many near-misses and moments where Zaman almost lost traction completely that it’s a miracle that no-one was hurt.

“The gall of Zaman to ask for a review of his driving afterwards is astonishing – we’re not sure how many stars 20 months in prison and a 34 month driving ban translates to, but it definitely isn’t five.”