Driver jailed for high speed chase

3:40pm Friday 10th October 2008

A BANNED driver rammed a police car which turned into a cul-de-sac, as he tried to speed away from the law.

Steven O’Brien, who has a history of drink driving, also refused to complete a breath test at the police station when he was finally arrested.

Now the 43-year-old is back behind bars after a judge jailed him for 20 months.

Rachel Marshall, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court that the defendant was banned from the road for three years in July last year.

A few months later, on November 6, a police patrol on Whitehill Way checked his registration and found the vehicle was not insured.

She said the officer turned on the blue lights to try and make the Rover stop but instead it accelerated away.

The car went at more than 60mph in restricted areas, she said, and overtook in the face of oncoming traffic.

A member of the public was almost forced off the road before the car turned into a dead end road.

In a bid to escape the pursuing police, the car rammed the patrol vehicle, causing the bumper to bend downwards and smashing a headlight.

O’Brien was taken to the police station and a sample of breath was taken which showed 74 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

But, in order to charge someone with drink driving, the police need two samples and when he refused to give a second he was accused of failing to provide.

O’Brien, of Mackenzie Close, Liden, denied driving while disqualified, dangerous driving, having no insurance, failing to stop and failing to provide a sample.

However, he was found guilty by magistrates in his absence after he failed to attend for a trial.

Rob Ross, defending, said three week after these offences his client received a five-month sentence for driving while disqualified and drink driving.

But since then he said he had not been in trouble at all and was trying to turn his life around since coming out of prison.

He said O’Brien was the sole carer for his teenage son who has been having problems with his schooling.

Mr Ross said the piece of dangerous driving only covered about two thirds of a mile on fairly open roads.

Jailing him Judge Douglas Field said: “In my judgement this was a serious case of dangerous driving.

“It is quite clear to me that you were determined not to be apprehended.

“It was clear to you that the police car was in pursuit and you overtook vehicles in front of you and in the path on oncoming traffic.”

As well as passing a 20-month sentence he also banned him from the road for three years and ordered him to take an extended retest before getting his licence back.