Man jailed after Bristol pursuit
A 47-year-old man who led police on a 30-minute pursuit through Bristol has been jailed for 16 months.
Bryan Smith, of no fixed address, drove on pavements, through several red lights and was recorded driving at 80mph in a 30mph limit before he was stopped by officers in Fishponds.
He admitted multiple driving offences and was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday 9 October.
On Tuesday 2 September, PC Dan Hamblin, of our Roads Policing Unit driving on Whitchurch Lane spotted a car that had been reported stolen a few days earlier and was being driven on cloned registration plates.
Despite activating the lights and sirens on his car, Smith failed to stop and drove off at speed.
He continued for 27 minutes driving around southern and central Bristol, at times well above the signposted speed limit, while he was followed by specially trained officers, supported by a National Police Air Service helicopter.
Officers made use of stingers in attempt to bring his vehicle to a stop, however Smith drove onto pavements and narrowly avoided other vehicles to avoid them.
The court also heard he went through red lights on multiple occasions before he hit two vehicles belonging to members of the public in Ledbury Road in Fishponds where his car became stuck.
Officers attempting to arrest Smith spotted he was still trying to drive off despite the collision and tased him to prevent the pursuit continuing any further.
Following his arrest, he was charged with the following offences:
- Driving while disqualified
- Driving without insurance
- Failing to provide a specimen for analysis
- Dangerous driving
He pleaded guilty to each offence when he appeared at Bristol Magistrates’ Court last month.
At Bristol Crown Court last Thursday, Smith was sentenced to 16 months in prison and was disqualified from driving for 10 years and eight months.
PC Hamblin said: “Smith’s driving was amongst the most reckless and exceedingly dangerous I have ever seen and this sentence to reflects that.
“Thanks to the skill of officers and the support of the police helicopter, he was stopped without any person coming to harm.
“Driving at the speed and the manner he did could have had serious consequences and this sentence protects the public from him.”
Most serious or fatal collisions are caused by one or more offences known as the ‘Fatal Five’. These are:
- Driving at excess speed
- Failing to wear a seatbelt
- Driving while distracted, including using a mobile phone
- Driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Driving carelessly
If you see someone driving dangerously or you suspect someone is drink or drug driving, call 999 immediately.