A personal trainer who was taking a woman home from their first date has admitted dangerous driving after seven officers were injured in a crash involving five police vehicles and a car.

Mazyar Azarbonyad, from Stanley in County Durham, admitted a series of driving offences when he appeared at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court.

They included failing to stop after the crash on the A1 near the Newcastle and Gateshead border at about 02:30 BST on 9 April.

The court heard police pursued Azarbonyad after noticing a defective rear light on the 20-year-old’s BMW.

Azarbonyad also admitted driving without insurance and a licence after his arrest, despite bail conditions preventing him from getting behind the wheel.

The court heard Azarbonyad sped away from officers who tried to stop him in Swalwell, Gateshead, after they had noticed a defective rear light on his car.

Jack Lovell, defending, said: “He tells me at that point it is immediate panic.”

He said Azarbonyad had been aware of the fact he had no insurance and that the woman he was with had made reference to being in “possession of cannabis”.

Mr Lovell said the self-employed 20-year-old, who came to the UK from Iran aged 15 or 16 and had no previous convictions, was later seen approaching the A1 and was pursued by police.

The serious collision involving five police vehicles and another car occurred near the Denton roundabout.

The court heard Azarbonyad had eventually slowed down after being surrounded by police vehicles.

Helicopter footage showed he was “essentially at a stop” when a following unmarked police Volvo, which had earlier reached speeds of 135mph, hit them at about 80mph.

“From there, there is something of a domino effect – it flips over and then the other police vehicles are also involved,” Mr Lovell said.

“I am not in any way trying to excuse – he should not have been driving the vehicle, it is his driving that has led to the incident on the A1.

“He accepts that by way of his guilty plea.”

He added Azarbonyad had shown genuine remorse for his actions and said he had been “very foolish” to get back behind the wheel just two days after the original incident.

Magistrates were told the 20-year-old had continued to drive on four further occasions, despite being told not to as part of his bail conditions.

The court heard he drove a red Hyundai i10 to work at a gym in Newcastle city centre.

Police spotted Azarbonyad on a garage forecourt and arrested him before he told them about other times he had driven since the crash.

Simon Worthy, prosecuting, said: “One would have thought as a matter of common sense… that you would have been a bit more sensible about your activities, having been so lucky to get out of an accident only two days before.

“But no, no, you continue to stick two fingers up.”

Azarbonyad, of Sylvia Terrace, was granted conditional bail and is due to be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on 20 May.