A disqualified driver reached speeds of 70mph through a town centre and almost collided with a heavy goods vehicle during a police chase. He was arrested after he reached a dead end, got out of the car and told the pursuing officer "I'm not going to run off."
Jordan Webber, 26, of Pontypridd, led police on a 14-mile chase between Porthcawl and Maesteg at around 1.30am on January 27. The pursuit began when an officer in an unmarked police car realised he was driving without insurance.
A sentencing hearing at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard Webber's dangerous driving began on the A4229 in South Cornelly, when he pulled into the Grove Golf Club before heading back out again. He made his way through country lanes and reached speeds of 70mph in 30mph zones.
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Webber drove through Kenfig Industrial Estate and went through a red light before turning onto the A48 towards Margam. The defendant took the wrong way around an interchange and avoided a collision with an HGV "by seconds". He then drove through Maesteg town centre at 70mph before coming to a stop at a dead end.
When the pursuing officer arrested Webber, she discovered other occupants in the defendant's blue Ford Fiesta. He was tested for drugs and alcohol but the results were negative.
Webber, of Queen Street, Treforest, answered "no comment" in his police interview but he later pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified and driving with no insurance. The court heard he had previous convictions for motoring offences and had previously received a suspended prison sentence of six months, as well as being disqualified from driving for 12 months.
In mitigation, the court was told the defendant "counts himself lucky" his passengers, the police and other road users were not injured as a result of his driving, or he would have been facing a more serious charge. Defence barrister Kevin Seal asked the court to pass the shortest custodial sentence possible.
Sentencing, Recorder Greg Bull KC said: "You have no regard for the laws of driving in this country as your frequent (court) appearances demonstrate. You drove at high speed for approximately 14-and-a-half miles in a built up residential area. You drove in the centre of Maesteg at 70mph in a 30mph limit.
"You were pursued by police and carried on with your attempt to escape knowing what the consequences would be should you be detained. You put at risk not only other road users but the passengers in your car. You narrowly missed a collision with a heavy goods vehicle which could have had fatal consequences."
Webber was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment. He was disqualified from driving for four years.
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