A driver smashed into a car while travelling on the wrong side of a busy road and ignoring a red traffic light. Dad-to-be Yahya Solak fears he will be deported after the latest in a string of driving offences.
Solak, 31, had just headed west across Newport city centre's George Street bridge at around 4.12pm on October 25, 2021, when he came to the crossroads with Lower Dock Street. There was then a crash involving his car and a VW Polo. Although Solak "made off down the road", he did not get far because "there was so much damage to his car that it was undriveable", prosecutor Paul Hewitt told Cardiff Crown Court.
"He was stopped by officers and spoken to at the scene," said Mr Hewitt. "His comment was that the other driver had come out of nowhere before he hit her. But dashcam footage showed he had driven on the wrong side of the road and, instead of stopping at the traffic lights when cars were crossing the carriageway, he had hit the Polo driven by a Ms Petkova, who was making a legitimate action with her car."
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Despite the dashcam video, which can be watched at the top of his page, Solak initially denied dangerous driving and only pleaded guilty shortly before his trial was due to start. Solak, of Rugby Road in Newport, has previous convictions for drug driving, affray, driving without due care and attention, and drug offences.
By the time he was sentenced this week for the George Street offence, he had been banned from driving for three years following a drug-driving conviction. But his barrister Andrew Taylor pointed out: "That disqualification was imposed almost a year after this offence. At the time of this offence, he was lawfully on the road in an insured and taxed vehicle. He pulled onto the wrong side of the road — and I accept it was a busy road, one of the few bridges that crosses the river in Newport."
Asked by the judge why Solak did this, Mr Taylor replied: "He didn't want to wait in traffic any longer and he bypassed the red light... It's a very bizarre thing to do. What he says is that when he pulled onto the opposing carriageway, there was no car coming towards him. He hit the extreme rear of Ms Petkova's vehicle, obviously causing damage. It is fortunate nobody was injured.
"He is a Turkish national who is due to become a father in two months' time. He is not allowed to work and he is now a person of interest to the Home Office. That's because in the time he's been here he's not only committed offences previously, but he has served a custodial term, which obviously causes a concern to those who decide whether he remains in the country. He fears any sentence of custody today could tip the balance in the favour of the Home Office."
When Judge Christopher Vosper KC continued to ask about the reason for his dangerous driving on George Street, Solak told the court: "The driver in front was messing about so I pulled across to avoid that car."
Judge Vosper replied: "Yes, that's what the pre-sentence report said, but either way, you were driving too fast to stop for the lights." The judge imposed a 32-week prison term suspended for 18 months. Solak must complete 150 hours of unpaid work and 15 days of rehabilitation activity.
He was handed a two-year driving ban but this will run at the same time as the three-year disqualification from last August. Solak must pass an extended test before he can drive again. Outside court he told WalesOnline: "A better sentence would have been no suspended sentence at all. A couple of hours in the community."
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