High-speed chase joyriders locked up

T WO j oy riders who led police on high-speed chases across Dundee in the same stolen Mercedes have been handed prison sentences.

Alan Phillips and Reace Stewart, both 21 and both prisoners of HMP Perth, narrowly avoided collisions as they were pursued by officers across some of the city’s busiest roads on October 31.

A sheriff slammed their reckless conduct and described their offending as becoming “out of control”.

Police were on the lookout for the £37,000 car which had been stolen from St Andrews three days previously.

Stewart was seen driving it the wrong way across a roundabout before crashing into a lamppost while Phillips sped through a red light in the same car and almost collided with a police vehicle.

Both men admitted driving the car dangerously at Dundee Sheriff Court.

The car was first spotted being driven by Stewart on Old Craigie Road and Clepington Road before officers spotted the car on Strathmore Avenue and Loon’s Road, this time with Phillips behind the wheel.

Fiscal depute Marie Irvine said that during the first incident, the car was spotted by an off-duty police officer who followed the vehicle.

As the vehicle entered a roundabout, Stewart overtook three vehicles on the wrong side of the road. Stewart then reversed past other road users, before crashing into a lamppost and fleeing the scene. Stewart again was seen driving on Pitkerro Road just before noon and narrowly avoided a collision before driving through a red light on Clepington Road.

Police spotted the car again at around 3.25pm. Phillips sped off at a set of traffic lights after seeing the police pull alongside the car and almost collided with the police vehicle.

While on Loon’s Road, police tried to box the car in but Phillips drove on the wrong side of the road and caused officers to take evasive action before speeding off out of sight.

Phillips was jailed for a total of 18 months and disqualified from driving for the same period.

Sheriff Drummond sentenced Stewart to nine months and disqualified him from driving for a year.