A 20-year-old driver has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving after leading police on a 120mph chase through east London while inhaling laughing gas.
Ibrahim Zidane, 20, of The Glen in Rainham, appeared at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court on 27 October, where he admitted a number of offences. He remains in custody while he awaits sentencing at Snaresbrook Crown Court.
The chase began on 26 October, when officers in an unmarked car spotted Zidane at a roundabout in Rainham. He had failed to give way and appeared to have been inhaling nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas.
When officers tried to stop him, he failed to stop and began speeding through red lights, driving dangerously through traffic and reaching speeds of 120mph.
Police decided there was a risk to the public and used tactical contact — driving into his car — to bring it to a stop on the A406 between Beckton and Barking.
Balloons and nitrous oxide canisters were subsequently found in the vehicle, and Zidane failed a roadside drug test for cannabis. He was already disqualified from driving at the time of the incident.
Key facts
- Who: Ibrahim Zidane, 20, of The Glen in Rainham
- What: Pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and a number of other offences
- When: The chase took place on 26 October; he appeared in court on 27 October
- Where: Through Havering and Barking and Dagenham, ending on the A406 between Beckton and Barking
- Speed: Reached 120mph, driving through red lights
- Next step: Sentencing at Snaresbrook Crown Court; he remains in custody
What is nitrous oxide?
Nitrous oxide, known as laughing gas, is a colourless gas that has legitimate uses in medicine, dentistry and catering. It was made a Class C drug in November 2023, and possessing it with intent to supply it for its psychoactive effects is a criminal offence.
Inhaling the gas impairs judgement and slows reaction times, making it extremely dangerous behind the wheel. Drivers caught with canisters and balloons in their vehicles face prosecution, and a failed roadside drug test can lead to further charges.
Dangerous driving and the law
Dangerous driving is one of the most serious motoring offences in England and Wales. It carries a maximum sentence of 14 years’ imprisonment when tried in the Crown Court, along with a mandatory driving ban and an extended retest before a licence can be regained.
Driving while disqualified is a separate offence, and drivers who fail to stop for police can face additional charges. Courts treat high-speed chases through built-up areas as particularly serious because of the risk they pose to other road users and pedestrians.
Police forces across London have increasingly used tactical contact — deliberately driving into a fleeing vehicle — to end pursuits where officers judge that letting the chase continue would put the public at greater risk.
What happens next
Zidane will be sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court. No sentencing date has been given yet, and he remains in custody until then.
The case follows a string of high-speed police pursuits in London in recent months, including two men charged after a police pursuit in Hanwell and a driver charged over a fatal collision in Wembley.
