Tools thrown at Wakefield police during 120mph motorway chase
Police were forced to dodge tools being hurled at them from a vehicle they were pursuing along the M62 at 120mph.
Prior to that, the Ford Mondeo had gone through red lights and overtook at dangerous speeds in Wakefield in a bid to evade capture.
Teenage driver Ashton Kerry was told by a judge at Leeds Crown Court today that he was lucky he did not “cause a pile up” due to his “horrific” driving, and that nobody had been killed.
The 19-year-old admitted dangerous driving, having no licence and no insurance.
Prosecutor Jade Edwards said the blue estate car had driven past officers at speed on the A650 in Wakefield on the evening of May 28 last year.
Activating their blue lights, they turned to pursue the car which continued to accelerate along Bar Lane, next to Pinderfields Hospital.
It then continued along Aberford Road in Stanley, reaching speeds of up to 90mph in 40mph zones.
Watchguard footage played the court showed a hammer being thrown from the car towards the police vehicle.
It then entered the M62, with Kerry driving along the hard shoulder for lengthy periods.
The car reached a staggering 120mph as another police vehicle entered the chase. A jack and another unidentified items were also thrown at the police car.
Tactically, the officers attempted to prevent the Mondeo leaving the motorway, but it eventually did, pulling into a service station and then off road onto a dirt track and a field.
The car stopped near a housing estate and Kerry and his four passengers all got out to run.
Kerry was quickly detained. During his police interview he initially gave no comments but admitted being the driver.
Kerry, of Grassmere Road, Knottingley, has three convictions for three offences, including taking an vehicle without the owner’s consent and attempted burglary.
A probation report read to the court suggested Kerry claimed he bought the car for £500 days prior and accepted he should have been driving.
Mitigating, Christopher Morton said Kerry admitted being the driver from the start and that he panicked because of his lack of licence and insurance.
He said Kerry was not aware that items were being hurled at the police.
The judge, Recorder Caroline KC, told Kerry: “You watched that footage. People could have been killed because of your stupidity.
“It would have been easy to stop that vehicle but you did not.”
She told him only his early guilty plea saved him from being handed an immediate custodial sentence.
Instead, he gave him an 18-month sentence, suspended for 24 months.
He was ordered to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work and 25 rehabilitation days with probation.
She also banned him from driving for 30 months and must take an extended re-test to get his licence back.
She reserved the case to herself, meaning any breach or further offending will mean he will be brought back before Recorder Goodwin.
She warned him: “I will be waiting for you and you sentence will be very different.
“If you come back to this court you will be facing prison.”