Drink-driving ex-councillor avoids jail after crash

A judge told a former councillor he "narrowly escaped" jail after crashing into a school's wall while drink-driving at high speed and injuring four people.

Shaz Nawaz, 47, of Park Road, Peterborough, claimed to be a "non-drinker" but consumed alcohol to soothe a toothache, Huntingdon Law Courts heard.

Nawaz, the former leader of Peterborough City Council's Labour group, crashed his BMW on Park Road at 19:10 GMT on 16 March, with three children and a woman in the car.

Judge Jonathan Seely told Nawaz he was a "lucky man" for not going to prison, before handing him a 12-month sentence, suspended for two years, after he admitted dangerous driving and driving while being over the alcohol limit.

Nawaz was told to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and pay about £186 in a victim surcharge.

He was also disqualified from driving for 12 months and ordered to take a driving re-test.

The woman travelling in Nawaz's car sustained a broken arm while the other passengers received minor injuries.

Following the incident Nawaz blew 80 micrograms per 100ml of breath on a roadside test, which is more than twice the legal limit of 35 micrograms per 100ml of breath.

Francis Ghaskin, prosecuting, said Nawaz's BMW i5 crashed into an exterior wall of a school after he lost control of the vehicle.

The court heard Nawaz was driving at high speed along the 30mph zone, with CCTV evidence shown in court and a witness claiming it may have been at about 80mph.

Judge Seely said Nawaz was seen driving at "grossly excessive speed" and "it was a very, very serious collision".

He added: "It was a miracle no-one was more seriously hurt."

Phillip Farr, defending Nawaz, said he "made a terrible decision" and had consumed alcohol to self-soothe a toothache while travelling from Pakistan to the UK on the day before the collision.

"He began drinking alcohol before boarding a flight to UK. He couldn't get a dentist appointment on Sunday. Defendant accepts he continued to drink vodka on the day of the collision," Mr Farr told the court.

Mr Farr said Nawaz identified himself as a "non-drinker" and "had a degree of embarrassment of consumption of alcohol" as a Muslim man.

He called Nawaz, who grew up in Peterborough, a "self-made man who gives back to the Peterborough community".

Judge Seely agreed there were several "positive" character references for Nawaz and called him a man of "exceptional good character and a fair employer".

Nawaz had no previous convictions but had three points on his driving licence for a speeding offence in 2021.

Nawaz previously represented the Park Ward on the city council before standing down in 2023. He has since left the Labour Party.

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