Man jailed for "incredibly" dangerous driving at Wetherby services as he tried to flee police

Aldo Leka, 31, an Albanian national, was travelling at over 50mph as he sped into Wetherby Service Station perilously close to children, families and other pedestrians, York Crown Court heard.

Police were alerted to the silver Mercedes C220 at about 2pm on January 3 after a member of the public called them to report a vehicle being driven “erratically” on the A1 southbound carriageway near Wetherby.

When police gave chase, Leka put his foot down and sped away, before turning off the A1 and zooming into the service station at more than double the 20mph limit in a “busy” service area replete with pedestrians, said prosecutor Lydia Carroll.

The Mercedes was eventually brought to an abrupt halt when it hit a kerb, disabling the vehicle.

Leka then got out of the car, jumped over a fence and made a run for it, but police caught up with him in a wood and cuffed him.

Officers searched the car and found £27,990 inside the vehicle which Leka had been transporting southwards and which was found to be criminal cash, possibly linked to money-laundering.

He was taken into custody but was “evasive” with officers, refusing to tell them for whom he was working. He told officers that the money had been sent to him from a family member in Albania.

He claimed the cash was money he was saving up to invest in a car wash, said Ms Carroll.

However, investigating officers found that Leko, of no fixed address, had no bank accounts to his name.

It was suspected that Leko, who had no insurance or licence to drive the Mercedes, was a courier for a “sophisticated” criminal gang.

Ms Carroll said he had probably been given the vehicle to transport the huge wad of cash.

The court heard that Leko had arrived in the United Kingdom in 2020 with no driving documents.

He was charged with dangerous driving, possessing criminal cash and driving without insurance or a licence.

He admitted the offences and appeared for sentence via video link today after being remanded in custody.

Defence barrister Benjamin Bell said that Leko, who was assisted by an Albanian interpreter in court, was now sorry for his actions and had no previous convictions on his record.

Judge Simon Hickey told Leko: “You clearly, in my judgement, present a risk or a danger to members of the public if you are prepared to drive your Mercedes through a main arterial road through North Yorkshire and into Wetherby Service Station at speeds of up to 53mph, endangering pedestrians, families and children.

“You entered the UK in 2020 with no driving documents or suggestion that you could drive safely on our roads.

"You clearly couldn’t handle a motor car of this quality, size or speed.

“You were determined to evade the police, driving off the A1 into the Wetherby services which were busy with families, children and pedestrians going about their business.

“You drove at speeds of 40mph in a 20mph zone and at times reached the incredible speed of 53mph in a 20mph zone, clearly causing that risk and danger to members of the public.”

Mr Hickey said although Leka didn’t speak good English, he had been evasive with police following his arrest.

“And I’m entitled to be sceptical of where and how you came into possession of that money,” added the judge.

“To suggest that this money was for a car wash is simply nonsense.

"You would not have been so determined to get away from the police if it was legitimate cash.”

Leka was handed a 20-month jail sentence, of which he will serve half behind bars before being released on prison licence.

He was also slapped with a two-year driving ban.

Mr Hickey made a formal confiscation order for the £27,990 cash seized by police.