Danger driver was filmed on a mobile; COURT: Police find footage taken by friend of 19-year-old man in Mini.

Byline: Ron Warrilow

A TEENAGER who used his mobile phone to record himself driving dangerously in his Mini Cooper has been given a suspended jail sentence.

Police officers stopped Jibbraan Ahmed on an unrelated matter and, when they saw the footage on his mobile phone, they charged him with dangerous driving.

Ahmed, aged 19, of Durban Road, Smethwick, admitted the offence and was given a 26-week custodial sentence suspended for 18 months at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

He was further placed under supervision for a year, told to carry out 80 hours community punishment and banned from driving for 18 months.

Recorder Benjamin Nicholls told him: "Law-abiding motorists are sick and tired of the antics of young drivers like you who show off by driving dangerously."

He said that if Ahmed had hit a pedestrian caught on the film as he was about to cross the road he would have gone straight into custody for "many years". The Recorder added: "This sort of thing is all too prevalent and young men like you need to have it brought home to them that dangerous, silly driving like this will be met with prison."

Mr John Evans, prosecuting, said Ahmed, who had never passed a driving test, got a friend to film him as he was behind the wheel of his black Mini in Westfield Road, Smethwick.

The footage showed Ahmed do a wheel spin as he drove off at speed and he then performed a handbrake turn in the mouth of a nearby junction before pulling up alongside the camera man with a smile on his face.

Alexander Barnfield, defending, said Ahmed accepted it was "silly and plain showing off".

He added: "He was not thinking about his actions and he realises it was a stupid act."

He told the court that Ahmed was full of remorse for the way he drove but stressed no injury had been caused and no other vehicles had been damaged by his driving.