Telford man jailed for dangerous driving
A man has been sentenced to 12 months after he was caught driving dangerously around Dawley in Telford earlier this week.
Joshua New, aged 29, of Crown Street in Dawley, caught the attention of officers at around 12.10am on Tuesday whilst he was driving a white Nissan Juke.
Officers then followed the vehicle, which is when the driver then sped off, reaching speeds of between 60mph and 80mph in a 30 zone, refusing to pull over for police.
Following a pursuit by officers, the driver then dumped the vehicle in Chiltern Gardens in Dawley, before making off down Dawley High Street on foot.
Officers were unable to locate the driver but following number of enquiries they were able to quickly identify New as the driver and arrest him later that day (Tuesday 25 February).
New was charged with driving a vehicle dangerously, two counts of driving whilst disqualified, two counts of driving with no insurance and failing to stop for police.
He was remanded in custody and appeared at Kidderminster Magistrates Court on Wednesday, where he pleaded guilty to all six charges.
New was then handed a 12-month custodial sentence, a three-year and 5-month driving ban, and the judge also ordered that he must retake his driving test once the driving ban has ended.
PC Jack Jackson, from the force’s Operations Policing Unit, said: “New's driving on Tuesday was extremely dangerous, especially when you consider the high speeds reached in such a residential part of Telford.
“New was aware that he was driving whilst disqualified and his willingness to engage in such risk taking to evade capture is something that caused us great concern.
“This was a team effort and if it wasn't for the commitment of all members of the team, we couldn't have achieved such a result in such a short space of time.
“I hope yesterday's sentence serves as a warning that we will work tirelessly to ensure any person who fails to comply with the requirements of the law, and/or places others in danger in doing so is put before the courts.
“New's actions on that evening could have had tragic consequences given the lack of care for the safety of others and himself.
"I am grateful that the Judge has clearly acknowledged our concerns and has handed out an appropriate sentence.”
