Store manager jailed for driving dangerously on Cheshire motorway

A convenience store manager has been jailed for driving at speeds of up to 130mph in Cheshire.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said that Kasif Khan, 37, of Braeside Grove in Bolton, was spotted driving a red Ford Mondeo on Birchwood Way in Warrington around 3.50am on 2 September 2021.

They did a check on the number plate because of the time of day and it showed that the car had been rented in the Oxford area. The police officers activated their emergency equipment and pulled the driver over so they could speak to him.

They asked Khan to switch the engine off but he simply turned the radio down. The windows of the car were blacked out and the officers asked Khan who else was in the car.

He replied “Just friends” and then drove off at high speed. Khan drove the car onto the M62 and the original police officers radioed for an armed response vehicle to be deployed.

Khan drove the car at up to 130mph while the police were in pursuit and he was seen undertaking cars and crossing carriageways – all at extremely high speeds.

Khan then left the motorway and entered a 30mph zone at 70 mph. The car was eventually stopped at the junction of Edgar St and Fletcher Street in Warrington.

Khan was breathalysed and tested for drugs. The roadside breath test gave a reading of 55mg of alcohol. The legal limit is 35. He was arrested.

Khan pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving and on 15 October 2021 at Liverpool Crown Court he was jailed for a year. He has also been disqualified from driving for a year and must do an extended re-test before he can drive again.

Advocate Olivia Cristinacce-Travis of CPS Mersey-Cheshire said: “Kasif Khan drove this vehicle at dangerously high speeds while over the limit, for an extended period of time, putting his passengers and other drivers at risk.

“He had been stopped by the police but drove off and continued to drive dangerously. He has other, previous convictions for dangerous driving and driving while under the influence of alcohol.

“He has a wife and children and a responsible job as the manager of a convenience store. He is the family’s main  breadwinner but he put all of this at risk for no apparent reason.

“His actions have landed him in jail. It is surely only luck that has not lead to his reckless behaviour having any more serious consequences.”