First date mixed up in 119mph crash that injured cops 'wished it never happened'

Daily Mirror

6 hours ago

Courtney Redfern was on a first date with Mazyar Azarbonyad when she ended up in a terrifying 120 mph police chase that ended in a sickening multi-car pile-up on the A1
The 'first date' caught up in the A1 crash which left seven cops in hospital 'wished it had never happened', sources close to the case have told the Mirror. Courtney Redfern, 26, watched in horror as Mazyar Azarbonyad, 20, sped away from police after being stopped shortly before the crash.
Courtney, of Gateshead, was begging him to stop as he reached speeds of 120 mph with five police cars in pursuit. He then went from 119 mph to 0 mph 'in a matter of metres' before a police vehicle went into the back of the BMW 5 Series, a court heard.
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Azarbonyad had not passed his driving test and had just three driving lessons before he bought the high powered 4x4 on finance. Courtney had no idea about his driving record. "She wishes that it had never happened," a source, who asked not to be named, said "She was caught up in this through no fault of her own." Courtney only met Azarbonyad the day before the date and he 'panicked' when she told him that she had drugs on her.
Sentencing him to 14 months in a youth detention centre, Judge Tim Gittins told him previously: "It is nothing short of a miracle that no one was seriously injured and there were not multiple fatalities. Your dangerous driving was prolonged, persistent and deliberate. It is difficult to imagine a worse case of dangerous driving without serious injury or death being caused.'
The crash caused 'regional traffic chaos' which would have cost 'tens if not hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damage'. It is believed that the damage the vehicles alone was at least £250,000. Azarbonyad had not passed his driving test and admitted in police interviews that he had just three driving lessons before he bought the high powered 4x4 on finance, Newcastle crown court heard. Courtney 'had no idea of his driving history' when she met him for the date.
Azarbonyad met Courtney the day before the date and 'panicked' when she told him that she had drugs on her. Judge Gittins added: "You should not have been anywhere near the driving seat of any vehicle let alone a BMW X5, a large and powerful SUV.
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'As other police vehicles joined the pursuit your speed continued to rise by a hair raising amount close to 120mph. Your passenger pleaded with you to slow down believing you were going to kill someone. Just as dangerous as your high speeds was your action to break rapidly coming to a sudden stop causing a catastrophic collision.
"It is nothing short of a miracle that no one was seriously injured and there were not multiple fatalities. Your dangerous driving was prolonged, persistent and deliberate. It is difficult to imagine a worse case of dangerous driving without serious injury or death being caused.' The crash caused 'regional traffic chaos' which would have cost 'tens if not hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damage'."
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It could not be reclaimed as Azarbonyad had no insurance, the judge added. He banned him from driving for three years and seven months after he admitted having eight points on his licence for driving without insurance in 2023.
Azarbonyad said 'Nah!" to her as he made off from the police, the court heard. Jolyon Perks, prosecuting, told how he had failed to stop twice for police prior to the crash.
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"At about 1.50am on April 9, PC Wilson saw the BMW X5 of the defendant travelling at speed in Swalwell, Gateshead," he said. "The defendant was required to stop but made off towards Swalwell Bank. He was then spotted again at 2.15am in the area and PC Wilson pulled over to allow traffic units trained in pursuit to take over.
"The defendant drove off again at speed and was travelling in excess of 100mph on the A1. He reached speeds of 120mph and then attempted to give way to the police. Courtney Redfern had met the defendant for the first time that evening and he told her that he drove off due to a defective light. She told him that she had a small amount of drugs."
She later accepted a police caution for possession of cannabis for personal use. Azarbonyad told police that his driving had been 'sh**', Mr Perks added.
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He also drove without a licence and no insurance on four occasions after being granted bail at his first appearance before magistrates in April.
Penny Hall, mitigating, said that he fled his native Iran when he was just 14 years old and had been without any parental guidance since being taken into care in the UK, which he left when he was 18.
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He had left Iran with his uncle, but they had lost each other en route and he had been alone ever since. She went on: "He was not seen at all by anyone once he left the care system at 18 in this country, apart from the occasional letter and phone call, it ended there. "He had no direction provided from there and no support, no guidance. He has shown a good work ethic and worked as a personal trainer but lost his job as a result of these offences when police turned up to arrest him. "He is terrified of the prospect of going to prison." He had 'panicked' when his passenger told him that she had some drugs with her and that had resulted in him leaving the scene at speed, she added.
Speaking after the case, Supt Billy Mulligan, of Northumbria Police, said: 'It is sheer luck that Mazyar Azarbonyad did not kill anyone with his reckless actions. What should have been a simple stop turned into him driving incredibly dangerously in a bid to get away from officers. He showed absolutely zero regard for the safety of anyone else.
'I would like to recognise the bravery of the officers involved. While three officers returned to duty, four remain off work. They were simply doing their job, protecting the public from the actions of someone who was not qualified or insured to drive."
The judge stressed Ms Redfern had no idea of Azarbonyad's driving record. It is understood that they did not see each other again. When asked by the Mirror, Azarbonyad smiled when asked about if he saw her again.