A MAN with no eyes who is partially deaf and suffers from leg tremors became the first blind person to be convicted of dangerous driving yesterday.
Omed Aziz, an Iraqi who lost his eyes in a bomb blast in his home country, said that he had been testing his abilities behind the wheel when he was stopped by traffic police in April.
At the time of his arrest, he was receiving instructions on steering and braking from a friend who had been banned from driving, Warley Magistrates’ Court was told.
Yesterday a traffic police officer described how, after pulling Aziz over, he asked him to remove his sunglasses.
Peter Love, for the prosecution, asked Constable Glyn Austin if he had noticed anything about Aziz. PC Austin replied: “I did — he didn’t have any eyes.”
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Aziz, who denied dangerous driving, and his passenger, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were arrested shortly after 11pm on April 23, after their Peugeot 405 crossed a white hazard line on the wrong side of the road. They had reached speeds of 35mph and negotiated two traffic islands and a corner on a half-mile route through Oldbury, West Midlands.
PC Austin said that Aziz had pulled up on wasteland after being told that there was a police car behind him.
“I attempted to speak to the driver, who appeared to be fumbling around with the controls,” he said. “At that point the passenger leaned across and stated, ‘He’s blind.’
“We asked him to step out of the vehicle, which he did eventually and then PC (Stuart) Edge questioned him as to his eyesight, at which point he then removed his glasses.”
Constable Edge said: “I asked him if he could see me. He removed the dark sunglasses he was wearing and I could clearly see he was blind, as he had no eyes.”
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Aziz, 31, and his friend were taken to Smethwick police station, where Aziz confirmed that he was totally blind and had impaired hearing in his left ear as a result of injuries sustained in an explosion. He had also lost his thumb and two fingers on his right hand.
Aziz, from Darlaston, Staffordshire, said that he had driving experience from before he became blind. He added that he was suffering from depression. At a previous hearing he had pleaded guilty to possessing no insurance, no licence and no tax certificate.
Mr Love said yesterday: “The way Mr Aziz was driving fell below what is expected of a competent driver. A blind man controlling a vehicle is inherently dangerous.
“A careful and competent driver wouldn’t dream of driving in this manner.”
Passing judgment, Richard Knight, chairman of the magistrates, said: “Mr Aziz is without sight. We find he was aware of a real risk of driving with his impairment and therefore his defective state amounted to dangerous driving.”
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Aziz was led into and out of court an interpreter, who helped him to negotiate his way to the dock. The case was adjourned for sentencing on September 11.
The passenger is due to appear at Wolverhampton Crown Court today charged with aiding dangerous driving, abetting it, or both.