Nottingham shopkeeper who was evacuted from Afghanistan sped off from police

A shopkeeper from Nottingham ran from police after they tried to stop him in an uninsured car. Nottingham Magistrates’ Court heard how Darwishjan Ahmadzia and his family were evacuated from the country by the UK Government “due to the risk posed to them by the Taliban”.

The 24-year-old then set up a shop in Alfreton Road and relies on keeping his licence to drive to cash-and-carry stores for stock. But after being spotted by the police in a car owned by and insured to a female, he first sped away from officers and then tried to flee on foot.

Now he is walking a points tightrope having been handed nine of them by magistrates.

India Ferris, his solicitor, said: “Mr Ahmadzia is not originally from this country, he came to the UK three years ago having been evacuated as an emergency by the UK Government due to the risk posed to his family by the Taliban. Prior to fleeing, his brother was involved in an incident where he stood on a landmine causing significant and horrific injuries to his legs.

“Most of his family live in Birmingham but Mr Ahmadzia runs his own grocery store in Alfreton Road. It is a shop which requires him to have a driving licence as he drives up and down the country going to Costco to get the items he can sell in his shop.

“He is incredibly remorseful and what he is petrified about most is losing his licence because he is the sole provider in his family and cares for his brother who is unable to work because of the injuries he suffered in the incident with the land mine. He understands points must be added to his licence but I ask you to keep them to a minimum.”

Andrew Conboy, prosecuting, said police spotted Ahmadzia, of Manvers Street, behind the wheel of a Ford Cmax during the afternoon of September 9, this year. He said they checked and saw it was registered and insured to a woman and so decided to stop it and activated their blue lights and sirens.

The prosecutor said: “The defendant failed to stop, overtook another vehicle and sped off onto Egypt Road, in Basford, braking hard and then stopping, getting out and running. He was eventually apprehended and officers found a bank card with his name on it in the car.”

Ahmadzia pleaded guilty to driving with no insurance and driving without due care and attention. Miss Ferris said: “During that period of driving there were no collisions and no poor manoeuvres.

“I asked him why he sped off and why he did not stop and he explained that he was frightened. He had never been arrested before and had no involvement with the police before . He was scared.”

Magistrates fined him £153 and ordered him to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £61 victim surcharge. The chair of the bench said: “Another driving offence will see a minimum of three points added to the nine, so you will have to make sure you drive very carefully or you run the risk of losing your licence.”