Personal trainer jailed over ‘first date’ chase that ended in crash involving five police cars

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Mazyar Azarbonyad was taking a woman home after a first date in April when police tried to stop his BMW over concerns about the driving

A 20-year-old personal trainer has been jailed for 14 months after a catastrophic high-speed chase on his first date left seven police officers injured and caused a multi-vehicle pile-up involving five police cars on the A1 near Newcastle.

Mazyar Azarbonyad was driving his date Courtney Redfern home in the early hours of April 9 when officers attempted to stop his BMW X5 due to excessive speed and a defective rear light in the Whickham area of Gateshead.

‘NAH’ – THEN SPEEDS OFF

Newcastle Crown Court heard that despite having only a provisional licence and no insurance, Azarbonyad had bought the powerful BMW X5 on finance after paying for just three driving lessons.

When police signalled for him to pull over, the personal trainer initially stopped but as an officer approached on foot, he said “nah” and sped away, launching a dramatic pursuit that would end in disaster.

Judge Tim Gittins told the court: “You should have been nowhere near the driving seat of any vehicle that night, let alone one such as a BMW X5, a large and powerful SUV.

120MPH TERROR RIDE

The court heard that Azarbonyad’s passenger told him she had cannabis on her, causing him to “panic” according to his defence. However, Judge Gittins said he was satisfied the defendant “made a deliberate decision to make off substantially because of your unlawful driving position.”

After evading police initially, Azarbonyad was spotted again 30 minutes later and failed to stop for a second time, nearly losing control on a bend and hitting a kerb as he accelerated onto the A1.

The judge described how his speed reached a “hair-raising level” of over 120mph on the four-lane carriageway.

Prosecutor Jolyon Perks told the court that Ms Redfern repeatedly begged him to stop, adding: “In her opinion, she thought he could have killed someone.

EMERGENCY STOP CAUSES CARNAGE

In the most shocking moment of the chase, when police vehicles moved to contain the BMW, Azarbonyad slammed on his brakes in the middle of the carriageway, going from 119mph to 0mph in an emergency stop.

The sudden manoeuvre caused a devastating multiple-vehicle pile-up involving five police cars, with one having its roof torn off completely and debris strewn across the A1.

Mr Perks described the horrific scene: “A number of these officers were trapped in vehicles. There were liquids involved, thankfully not petrol. A number of officers were rendered unconscious. It was clearly a very traumatic incident.”

SEVEN OFFICERS INJURED

The crash left seven police officers requiring hospital treatment:

• One female officer suffered soft tissue damage to her knee and nerve damage to her back, spending three days in hospital
• Another officer needed stitches for a cut to his forehead
• Several officers were knocked unconscious
• Four officers remain off work months after the incident

Judge Gittins said: “It is nothing short of a miracle that no one was more seriously injured or that there were not multiple fatalities.

‘STICKING TWO FINGERS UP’

Astonishingly, despite being released on bail with strict conditions including a driving ban, Azarbonyad continued to drive to his job at a gym in Newcastle city centre.

He was finally arrested at a petrol station in Stanley on April 16 after being caught filling up a red Hyundai i10.

Prosecutor Simon Worth told him in court: “One would have thought as a matter of common sense… that you would have been a bit more sensible about your activities, having been so lucky to get out of an accident only two days before. But no, no, you continue to stick two fingers up.”

FLED IRAN AS TEENAGER

The court heard that Azarbonyad had arrived in the UK after fleeing his home country of Iran when he was 14 years old. He had previously been stopped for driving without a licence and insurance in 2023.

When interviewed about the crash, Azarbonyad described his own driving as “shit” but refused to accept he had braked harshly, instead blaming police for “travelling too fast.

GUILTY ON MULTIPLE CHARGES

Azarbonyad pleaded guilty to:

• Dangerous driving
• Two counts of failing to stop for police
• Six counts of driving without insurance
• Six counts of driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence

JUDGE’S DAMNING VERDICT

Sentencing him to 14 months in a young offenders institution, Judge Gittins said the incident caused “regional traffic chaos, misery for many travellers, not to mention the substantial loss of work and study hours for those that were caught up in the aftermath of what you caused.

Superintendent Billy Mulligan of Northumbria Police said after the case: “It is sheer luck that Mazyar Azarbonyad did not kill anyone that day with his reckless actions.

Defence solicitor Penny Hall said her client had shown “genuine remorse” for his actions.

The dramatic footage of the aftermath showed the A1 littered with debris from the destroyed police vehicles, with one patrol car missing its entire roof and doors ripped off in the collision that shocked even experienced traffic officers.