West Yorkshire Police officer told friend to take blame after drink driving crash in Wakefield
A police officer who tried to urge his friend to take the blame after crashing his car in Wakefield while being nearly twice the drink drive limit has been jailed.
Abdul Iqbal, 29, was jailed for four months today (Tuesday) at Bradford Crown Court after admitting a number of offences following the collision in the Calder Grove area last May.
The now ex-PC Iqbal, who was based in Kirklees District, had previously pleaded guilty to charges of driving whilst over the prescribed limit, perverting the course of justice and failing to furnish driver details.
Police were called to Denby Dale Road at 3.37am on May 15 where officers located a Kia Ceed with damage to the front nearside wheel consistent with hitting a kerb at speed. Iqbal was seen exiting the driver's side of the vehicle and while talking with officers he referred to himself driving.
After being asked whether he had been drinking, Iqbal started talking to his friend who had also been in the vehicle in Mirpuri, a dialect of Punjabi. During this time, he was also witnessed by an officer sending a message on his phone saying: “Tell them you were driving.”
He was breathalysed at the roadside and arrested on suspicion of driving whilst over the prescribed limit. At the police station, he provided an evidential reading of 66mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mg.
An independent interpreter later translated what Iqbal had said to his friend at the roadside in Mirpuri. It was established he had again told his friend to tell the police he was driving and also made comments about “being finished”.
Iqbal was issued with a legal requirement to provide the name of the driver at the time of the incident but failed to do so.
Detective Chief Superintendent Tanya Wilkins, head of West Yorkshire Police’s Professional Standards Directorate, said: “We regularly warn people of the dangers of driving under the influence.
“This former officer has not only put himself and other roads users at risk but has then tried to avoid justice by attempting to get someone else to take the blame for his actions.
“The public quite rightly expect our officers to behave ethically, acting with honesty and integrity. As ex-PC Iqbal was a student officer still in his probation period, he was dismissed from the organisation under the Regulation 13 process as it is believed he would not become an efficient and well-conducted constable.”