Teenager facing 10 charges after police bike chase

A TEENAGER has appeared in court following a huge manhunt in Lowerhouses and Almondbury involving armed police.

The operation was launched in the early hours of Monday morning with residents woken up by a police helicopter.

Police said that suspicious activity involving two people on a motorcycle carrying weapons had been reported.

Jermaine Henson, 19, appeared at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court in custody charged with 10 offences.

They are possession of a sawn-off semi-automatic shotgun, possession of a bladed article, two charges of dangerous driving, using both a car and a motorcycle without a licence or insurance, and possession of cannabis.

Prosecutor Robert Campbell told the Huddersfield court that the charges related to two incidents involving Henson, of Highcroft Crescent in Almondbury, and both involved a police chase.

He said that on Monday police and the force helicopter chased Henson across Huddersfield into woodland off Kidroyd Lane, Lowerhouses.

Mr Campbell said Henson ignored three sets of red lights and drove onto the wrong side of the road with his lights switched off shortly before 2am.

He had weapons with him and a firearm with ammunition was found in close proximity to him upon his arrest, he told the court.

During the earlier alleged incident on May 21 Henson drove off at speed when police went to speak to him.

Mr Campbell alleged that Henson reached speeds of 60mph in a 30mph area during the chase at 1.20am.

He told the court that the incident ended when he turned into a dead end and he exited the car while it was still moving, causing it to roll into a bush.

Henson, flanked in a secure dock by two security officers, gave no indication of what his pleas will be to the charges.

District Judge Michael Fanning sent his case to Leeds Crown Court.

He will first appear there on August 22 and was remanded into custody in the meantime.