A Berkshire man labelled a “horrific motor offender” by a Swindon judge has been jailed for his latest catalogue of car crimes.

Fazian Iqbal, who was trafficked from native Afghanistan as a child and sold into slavery in the UK, has 15 offences of driving while disqualified on his record, 12 for driving without insurance and four for drink driving or failing to provide a specimen for analysis. As an adult he has appeared before courts in London, Manchester, Merseyside, Berkshire, Worcestershire – and now Swindon.

Prosecutor Don Tait told Swindon Crown Court the 31-year-old’s BMW had been flagged by traffic cameras on April 28 this year in connection with other suspected offences.

Police tried to pull him over, but Iqbal made off. The chase lasted around five miles and involved three police cars driving at speeds of up to 90mph to catch up with the BMW along a rain soaked A419.

“At one stage he came to a stop and police vehicles tried to box him in, then he accelerated away and was pursued by police at speeds of 78 to 82mph. At 2.12pm they found the vehicle having come to grief and ended up in a ditch,” Mr Tait said.

A year earlier, on April 15, he was charged with drink driving after Manchester police saw him weaving between lanes. He blew 49 on the police station intoxilyser. The legal limit is 35.

In September, officers from the Metropolitan Police had gone to his home in Slough to arrest him on other matters. While they were there he pulled up in a BMW, got out of the driver’s side door and was detained. He was charged with driving while disqualified and received a four month prison sentence from Reading magistrates.

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Fazian Iqbal's custody shot Picture: WILTSHIRE POLICE

Iqbal’s lawyers appealed that sentence, which would have made it hard for the judge to impose a suspended jail sentence on the dangerous driving matter.

James Partridge, defending, said his client was remorseful and had been finding prison during the coronavirus lockdown especially difficult. He suffered from depression and was yet to receive from prison authorities the medication he was prescribed by his GP.

He said the man was unsure whether he had been born in Afghanistan or Pakistan. He was trafficked from his Afghan village to the UK when still a child and had been sold into slavery. His girlfriend’s aunt, who he referred to in a letter to the judge as his mum, helped rescue him from servitude and gave him somewhere to live. Iqbal had been recognised as a victim of modern slavery by the Home Office. Up until now he has not been allowed to work or drive legally in this country.

Iqbal, formerly of Allington Court, Slough, admitted dangerous driving, driving without insurance, driving while disqualified and drink driving.

Judge Jason Taylor QC, sitting alongside two magistrates, turned down the appeal against sentence. “Notwithstanding that we do make allowances for your troubled background we also have a duty to protect the public and your record of offending is so horrific and entrenched we cannot even come close to criticising the sentence imposed by magistrates. It was in our view entirely appropriate.”

Jailing Iqbal for 16 months, the judge noted the man’s difficult upbringing but said: “These factors cannot excuse, justify or even adequately explain your repeat offending and your complete disregard for the law and the way in which you drive when you know you shouldn’t.”

Iqbal held his head in his hands as he was told by Judge Taylor: “Any police chase is dangerous, but especially when the weather is poor. Moreover, this ended with you being so out of control you crashed your car. It was a course of driving which placed you, but more importantly the officers in those three police cars, in danger.”

The Slough man, who is already banned from the roads until 2025, was given a further driving disqualification of three years and eight months. He will need to pass an extended driving test if he wishes to take to the roads.