Shropshire Star

Jail for driver who crashed Maserati into house and injured police officers

Mohammed Shaikh lost control of his supercar, mounted the pavement and crashed into the side of a house in north-west London.

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Mohammed Shaikh has been jailed (Metropolitan Police/PA)

A drunk Maserati driver has been jailed for more than three years after he smashed into a house, critically injuring two police officers.

Mohammed Shaikh, 48, lost control of his supercar, mounted the pavement and crashed into the side of a house on the North Circular in north-west London.

Pc Christopher Appleton, 35, and Pc Samantha Clark, 36, who were both on foot, suffered horrendous injuries in the incident and were in hospital for weeks.

Both officers sat in wheelchairs in court for the sentencing, surrounded by their families, friends and colleagues.

He had completed a driving ban and awareness course four months before the crash for a previous drink-driving offence.

Judge Rosa Dean told him he had “clearly learned nothing” when he got behind the wheel after at least four glasses of wine on December 17 last year.

“You failed to steer for the gentle right-hand bend, which would be consistent with you having had a late night and too much to drink,” she said.

She continued: “The consequences to the officers of your actions that night cannot be overestimated and no sentence passed today can wind back the clock.”

Shaikh was also banned from driving for six-and-a-half years and ordered to pay £1,300 compensation to the resident of the damaged house.

The officers were returning to their own parked vehicle on the A406 near Brent Park in Neasden at around 3.30am when Shaikh came round a bend and lost control of his car.

Pc Appleton was left unconscious on the ground while Pc Clark was trapped between the vehicle and the house.

They were both rushed to St Mary’s Hospital and received weeks of treatment.

Pc Appleton, a married father of two, suffered internal bleeding and had to have part of his pancreas removed.

He also suffered fractures to both legs, his pelvis, shoulder and ribs, leaving him unable to help care for his two young sons and pregnant wife.

Pc Clark suffered a shattered pelvis, fractures in both legs and a cut to her lip which required stitches.

She has had to move back in with her parents while she undergoes rehabilitation and may never walk unaided again.

Shaikh, also known as Mohammed Shisq, had been at a party in Windsor when he got behind the wheel to drive home with his wife in the passenger seat.

He appeared intoxicated when officers spoke to him at the scene, refused to do a breathalyser test and gave a fake name and address to police.

He later said he had drunk four glasses of wine and blacked out at the wheel.

Shaikh, of Amberden Avenue, Finchley, north London, previously pleaded guilty to two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and failing to provide a specimen of breath over the incident.

He has previous convictions for drink-driving, perverting the course of justice, fraud and forging a car insurance document.

Andrew Frynann, defending, said Shaikh feels “genuine remorse and guilt” for what happened and described him as an “attentive and hands on father” to two teenage daughters.

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