A DRUG addict dad, who seriously injured two of his children and an innocent couple while driving like a "lunatic," has been locked up.
Umbar Ali, 40, was remanded in custody yesterday after he was convicted of four charges of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
Father-of-ten Ali abandoned three of his young children in the wreckage of his Vauxhall Zafira and left the scene after smashing at high speed into another car.
Bradford Crown Court heard that Ali had been estimated to be driving at 70mph along Queen's Road, Manningham, with the three youngsters and his girlfriend in the back and his wife in the front, before hitting an Alfa Romeo as it turned right into Valley Road.
The impact shunted the Alfa Romeo 50 yards along the road into a tree, seriously injuring the driver, Imran Butt, and his wife, Sandleen Zeb.
Three-year-old Amira Ali suffered a severe laceration to her left ear, which was almost severed, and her sister Ayesha, two, fractured her leg and thigh. Aliah Ali, 13 months, escaped with minor injuries.
Ali, of Acre Lane, Eccleshill, Bradford, pleaded not guilty to the four charges and claimed that he had been forced to drive dangerously because he was being chased "bumper to bumper" by a white Audi due to a debt he owed a drug dealer.
He told the jury he feared for himself and his family, but independent witnesses did not mention the Audi.
The jury of seven men and five women took less than an hour to reject his story and convict him.
Ali stood with his arms clasped to his chest and stared intently across at the jury as the guilty verdicts were returned.
He was remanded in custody by Judge David Hatton QC and is expected to be sentenced tomorrow.
Ali claimed to the jury that the man was his former drug dealer. He said he owed 900 and claimed the man threatened him. He said he had his "henchmen" with him and he feared he would be stabbed or "shot up."
But prosecutor Ken Green said the defendant had not been threatened and it was "nonsense" that he had been in fear.
The court heard Ali had seven children by his, wife Shagufta who he said he was divorcing, and the three children in the car were to his girlfriend Melissa Cox, who was also in the car.
She told police Ali was driving the car "quite fast," but did not say anything about them being chased. After the accident, she got the two older children out of the car.
West Bowling