Six months' jail for Sheffield drink-driver who persistently lied to police about his identity

A Sheffield drunk-driver who ploughed his vehicle into stationary cars and persistently lied to police about his identity has been put behind bars.
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Abdulla Hassan Abdulla’s spate of offending began in the early hours of May 2 last year, when he crashed a vehicle carrying two passengers into cars parked on a residential street in Sheffield.

A neighbour was awoken to the sound of a large ‘bang,’ and looked out of the window to see the aftermath of the crash, Bev Wright, prosecuting, told Sheffield Crown Court.

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She added: “The defendant appeared to be intoxicated, and she immediately phoned the police. The police arrived. Two of the other people had left, they were apprehended. There was a female passenger and a male passenger in the rear of the car. The defendant was the driver and was arrested. He didn’t accept that he was the driver and said he was just walking past and helped the people out of the vehicle.”

Abdulla Hassan Abudlla has been jailed for six months for drink driving and perverting the course of justice. Picture: South Yorkshire PoliceAbdulla Hassan Abudlla has been jailed for six months for drink driving and perverting the course of justice. Picture: South Yorkshire Police
Abdulla Hassan Abudlla has been jailed for six months for drink driving and perverting the course of justice. Picture: South Yorkshire Police

Abdulla, of Wensley Croft, Grimesthorpe failed a roadside breath test and was taken to hospital, where a blood sample was taken.

He was found to have 126 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood – the legal limit being 80 milligrammes.

Abdulla, aged 20, was subsequently arrested on suspicion of drink-driving, but gave police the name of a different man as well as a false date of birth – but provided them with the correct street name.

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A court summons was sent out, based on the false information provided by Abdulla, and when he failed to attend the hearing at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Mrs Wright said: “Police officers went to the Wensley Croft address, and asked for the person whose name he had given. It was fairly plain that he wasn’t the man in the car that night.”

Abdulla was finally caught out after he was arrested in connection with a robbery alleged to have been carried out in July this year.

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He provided police with a false name yet again, but happened to have his passport with him, bearing his real name.

Despite this, he continued to maintain the false name was correct.

Abdulla was linked to the May 2018 crash, after his fingerprints were taken and run through the police system.

Mrs Wright told the court it was at this point that Abdulla finally gave police his real identity and made ‘full admissions’.

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No charges have been brought against Abdulla in connection with the robbery.

Abdulla pleaded guilty to charges of perverting the course of justice and driving over the prescribed limit at an earlier hearing.

Mitigating, James Fox-McGowan, said: “This was a lie he uttered easily, but found it impossible to get out of.”

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“It’s true to say that at the time of this offence he didn’t realise the gravity of what he was saying, and the ramifications it could possibly have for him.”

Mr Fox-McGowan asked Judge Peter Kelson QC to take his lack of previous convictions and guilty pleas into consideration when passing sentence.

As Judge Kelson jailed Abdulla for six months, he told the court: “The message has to go out to the public that people who misuse the criminal justice system, who lie to the police about their identity will be punished. In the circumstances, even though this is your first conviction, it seems to me that the appropriate sentence is one of six-months immediate imprisonment.”

Judge Kelson also banned Abdulla from driving for 15 months.