Camera finally catches Blackburn serial speeder

8:10am Thursday 24th July 2008

A YOUNG driver has been jailed and branded a ‘menace on the roads’ after trying to lie his way out of a raft of speeding fines.

Haroon Hussain ‘acted as if he was above the law’ as he sped round Blackburn in his BMW complete with a private number plate ‘BIG 4943’.

To avoid £540 in fines, 27 penalty points and an ‘inevitable’ ban on driving, he gave contact addresses of fictional people he said had bought the vehicle.

But Hussain, of Whalley Range, Blackburn, was caught out when he claimed he had sold the car to an Abdul Hussain of Cedar Street.

The occupant of the house sent a note back to speed camera bosses stating: “No person of this name resides at this property. The owner of the car lives at 100 Whalley Range, Blackburn”.

And after being arrested, investigators identified a speed camera image of a sun glasses-clad Hussain behind the wheel of the car.

Kat Whitemoss, from the Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety, said the case echoed that of Blackburn man Shafkat Munir, 26, who was jailed in January for faking his own death after being caught on speed cameras.

She said: “We are investigating more of these cases than ever and getting convictions for them.

"Whenever any suspicious cases come to our attention we will investigate them. People are going to more extreme lengths to avoid punishment but they will be caught out.”

On the case of Hussain, Linda Sanderson, also of the partnership, said: “This man has been a menace on the roads of Blackburn acting as if he is above the law.

“He has had no thought to the consequences of speeding to himself or others.

“I implore any parents of young drivers to step in and help stop reckless behaviour.

"Mr Hussain will attend our Wasted Lives Young Driver Education Programme whilst in prison to change his cavalier attitude.”

As well as jail, Hussain will also be sent on the Wasted Lives Young Driver Education Programme in a bid to change his ‘cavalier attitude’.

This was launched by the partnership following our Wasted Lives campaign to stop the carnage of young drivers on Lancashire’s roads.

Appearing at Preston Crown Court, Hussain was jailed on a total of seven charges of perverting the course of justice which he had either admitted or been convicted of.

He was sentenced for 28 days in prison and given a six-month driving ban.

Hussain, whose BMW is registered to his mother Robena Idrees of the same address, committed all his speeding offences after 6pm in Blackburn between May 2006 and July 2007.

He was caught speeding in a number of Blackburn’s 30mph zones including Whalley New Road, Whitebirk Road, Preston New Road, Revidge Road, Haslingden Road and Buncer Lane.

Staff from the DVLA became suspicious each time he claimed the car had been sold as they had not been sent transfer of ownership.

Hussain had also been stopped in the BMW by police on nine separate occasions for other reasons.

Hussain averaged 40mph in 30mph zones while speeding - reaching a speed of 46mph on the A666 Whalley Road, bosses said.

After the case investigating officer Police Constable Mark Pilkington said: “This case shows the lengths that people are prepared to go to in order to avoid getting penalty points on their driving licences.

“The public should be aware that what may start as a simple speeding offence can escalate into much more serious charges of Perverting the Course of Justice dealt with at the crown court and result in a criminal conviction.”