A LAW student, banned from driving last year for taking part in a high-speed race through Burnley, has been jailed after being involved in a motorway smash.

Sakab Mahmood, 21, gave police the wrong name after the rear end shunt at the wheel of a hired Audi Q7 on the M6 in Knutsford on April 12.

Burnley Crown Court heard Mahmood, who wanted to be a solicitor or barrister, claimed he forgot he was subject to the suspended sentence.

In July last year at the same court, he had been given eight months in prison, suspended for two years, with a curfew, unpaid work and a two-year driving ban after admitting dangerous driving.

He had been one of two drivers who raced each other at speeds of up to 85mph almost causing head-on crashes, on 30 mph Colne Road, Burnley.

Mahmood was back in the dock on Monday after he admitted driving while disqualified, no insurance and police obstruction. The defendant, of William Street, Brierfield, was jailed for 29 weeks, banned from driving for two years and has to take an extended driving test.

Rick Holland, defending, said the vehicle was hired to go to a wedding in Birmingham. There was nobody else to drive it and, conscious of his repres-entational role at the wedding, Mahmood drove.

Mr Holland said: “He's going to have an uphill task to persuade the Law Society if he wants to be a solicitor."

The court heard Mahmood had driven from the Manchester area to Birmingham and back and had had to pay out £4,000 for damage to the hire car and other vehicle.