Police forced to smash into Renault to stop driver escaping in 'terrible' high-speed Wakefield chase
A motorist who drove at twice the speed limit was eventually stopped after a chasing police car made “tactical contact” to prevent him escaping.
Gregory Townend appeared at Leeds Crown Court where he admitted a charge of dangerous driving and having no insurance.
Despite having a previous conviction for dangerous driving, he was handed a suspended sentence.
His Renault Clio was spotted driving at “excessive speed”, at around 11.25pm on July 7 last year.
Officers were in an unmarked police vehicle and followed him, illuminating their lights when he stopped at a red light. They also noticed a registration plate on the car was missing.
He reached 60mph in a 30mph zone, then 84mph in a 40mph area as drove along Barnsley Road, Asdale Road and Denby Dale Road.
The police tried to overtake him, but he swerved into their path to prevent them boxing him in.
When he reached the slip road onto the M1, the police vehicle tried to overtake him again and he careered into them.
A second police car then struck his car to bring him to a halt. The 23-year-old was arrested at the scene. He later gave a no-comment interview.
Mitigating, Joel Wootten conceded it was a “terrible piece of driving”.
He added: “He knew he was driving without insurance.
“He panicked, and rather than stopping for the police and receiving a light form of punishment, he decided, idiotically, to drive off at speed.”
He said Townend, of Burton Road, Monk Bretton, was previously prosecuted for dangerous driving after he crashed and damaged 24 cars in a failed attempt to take his life.
His car burst into flames and he suffered substantial burns to his body.
He described Towned, who works full time at McDonald’s, as “meek and vulnerable” and said he would struggle in prison.
Judge Tahir Khan KC opted to keep him out of jail, giving him a 14-month sentence, suspended for two years.
He ordered he complete 250 hours of unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation days with probation.
Towned was also banned from driving for 12 months and told he must take an extended re-test to get his licence back.