Motorist switched seats in Ford Focus during Wakefield police chase to pin the blame on his passenger

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A motorist with multiple driving offences forced his passenger to swap seats after failing to outrun police.

The police helicopter was scrambled while a patrol car pursued Michael Lee as he reached speeds of 80mph in 30mph zones, Leeds Crown Court heard this week.

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He then forced Stuart Dodson to take the blame by switching seats, but police had already seen Lee behind the wheel.

National World

Prosecutor Jessica Lister said officers had noticed a Ford Focus driving with its lights off in the Hemsworth area at around 11.15pm on July 18 last year.

The police pulled alongside simply to ask them to switch them on, with Lee clearly driving. But he then took off at speed. They pursued him for 15 minutes as the helicopter followed.

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The footage was played to the court. He crossed over lines with erratic manoeuvres as other drivers had to slam on the brakes to avoid a collision.

He eventually stopped and the officers saw 53-year-old Dodson, of Rose Grove, Upton, behind the wheel.

They later both admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice. Lee, 38, of Church Road, Doncaster, also admitted dangerous driving and driving while banned.

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He has 10 previous convictions for driving while banned, four for dangerous driving and two for driving while over the drug-drive limit.

Mitigating for Dodson, Nicholas Hammond said a suspended sentence was appropriate because he was a low risk, and he was coerced into switching seats with Lee.

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For Lee, Olivia Fraser said the offences were both “unplanned and unsophisticated.

The judge, Recorder Aisha Wadoodi, jailed Lee for 16 months and banned him from driving for 32 months. Dodson was given six months’ jail suspended for nine months, accepting he had been coerced.