A SENIOR police officer has said Swindonians “should not be expected to tolerate… mindless violence” after a notorious drug dealer was jailed last week.

As previously reported in the Adver, Billy Livingstone was sent to prison for three years and nine months after he led police on a chase through Swindon town centre in the middle of the day while driving a stolen hire car, and threatened two members of the public who he cut up in a road rage incident.

He was eventually arrested in a pub near to where he had dumped the Mercedes A200, and was found with a large amount of drugs, cash and dealing equipment on him and at his address.

READ MORE: Dealer jailed after road rage incident and police chase

Reacting to the sentence of Livingstone, from Cromer Court, Coate, Detective Inspector Angela Shipp, of Wiltshire Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: “Billy Livingstone is an individual who has caused significant harm in the community through his criminality.

“His brazen behaviour in stopping to threaten two people whilst being pursued by police is reflective of his disregard for the law and the safety of innocent members of the public.

“The custodial sentence handed to Livingstone by the court is testament to the victims and witnesses of this case in assisting the police in this investigation," DI Shipp continued.

“Members of our community should not be expected to tolerate despicable behaviour and mindless violence from individuals like Livingstone and it is clear that the court agrees that people who cause harm, supplying drugs and offering violence are best placed in prison.

“I would like to thank the investigation team and the officer in the case for their diligence in pursing this conviction and under Wiltshire Police’s Project Optimise, the Serious and Organised Crime Unit will continue to pursue criminals like Livingstone and ensure they are brought to justice.”

Swindon Crown Court was also told last week how the 22-year-old had got involved in dealing drugs as a result of an addiction he gained after being released from prison.

He had been sentenced to two years behind bars for kidnapping a 13-year-old boy from McDonald's in 2018.

Billy had been driving the car on June 23, 2021, with his cousin Connor in the passenger seat when they cut up the complainant, who was driving an Audi A1, on Drakes Way near Greenbridge Retail Park.

They both got out of the car and Connor shouted to the Audi’s passenger to “get out of the f****** car”.

Billy also threw a water bottle at the driver’s door.