After leading police on a 140mph chase down the M5, dumping his car and fleeing, Thomas Croker came up with a cunning plan. Later that day he reported his BMW 320d stolen and he was invited to the police station.
Unfortunately for him, waiting at the station was the cop who had seen it was Croker, not a car thief, who was driving his car at the time of the chase. And Croker was even more unlucky when he was shown a police dashcam photo of him fleeing the vehicle.
Dad-of-three Croker, 30, of Fishponds Road, Eastville, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and doing an act tending to pervert the course of justice in November 2021. Judge Michael Longman jailed him for 14 months.
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The judge told him: "It was merciful good fortune no-one was injured or worse. You placed road users at considerable risk by driving as you did."
Croker was banned from driving for two years and seven months. He was also told to take an extended driving test.
Gregory Gordon, prosecuting, told Bristol Crown Court police spotted Croker driving his BMW in Westbury-on-Trym at 12.50am on November 4, 2021. As he was driving at speed he was temporarily lost to sight before police spotted him ten minutes later driving around a housing estate in Patchway.
The court heard Croker had bail conditions regarding an ex-partner. Police followed him at a distance as he progressed to the A38, where he was seen to slow and increase his speed and change lanes for no reason before he reached a red traffic light and police tried to block him.
Mr Gordon said: "The defendant manouvered away at speed through the red traffic light. Police activated their blue lights and sirens as he joined the M5 at Junction 16."
Mr Gordon said Croker accelerated to 110mph but breaked heavily when he passed a speed camera, which activated. After appearing to start an exit at the Cribbs Causeway junction he aborted that move at the last minute and stayed on the motorway.
Mr Gordon said Croker then accelerated up to 140mph, before exiting at the next junction and overtaking a lorry at speed. The court heard he drove through residential Lawrence Weston at 60mph before abandoning his car in Sadlier Close, where he decamped and his face was captured on police dashcam.
Later that day he reported his car as stolen, but was arrested after being confronted with the picture of his face as he fled police. When interviewed he told police: "It's your word against mine."
Police also gained evidence of a telephone call Croker made after the pursuit in which he said: "I'm going to prison, I f****d up. I was p****d up, it was the biggest mistake of my life - 140 on the motorway like a t**t - I will have a mental health worker tell them I was not in my right frame of mind at the time."
Alistair Haggerty, defending, said: "It was unsophisticated and ill-thought through. He was aware he had been seen by police officers leaving the car. He would have known the game was up at interview."
Mr Haggerty said his remorseful client had been seeking to get medical help for mental health issues. He said Croker had the offer of work on his release and there were "green shutes of encouragement" that his life was changing.
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