Police cars rammed in high speed chase

A learner driver hit speeds of 120mph as he was pursued by police in a 36-mile chase on a motorway, a court heard.

Several attempts were made by a total of eight police cars to stop Scott Flisher, 25, in his Seat Leon between junctions 9 (the Ashford turn-off) and 4 of the M20.

Each time he managed to evade arrest – ramming police cars causing £31,611 of damage – before crashing and being caught as ran across the carriageway.

Flisher, who has a long criminal record and was on licence at the time, admitted dangerous driving, criminal damage and having no licence and insurance.

He was jailed for 18 months and banned from driving for two years and nine months. A judge said the consequences of the damage was that the public purse had to pay for repairs and four police cars were not available to answer emergencies.

Maidstone Crown Court heard the father-of-four was on his way to a boot fair in Ashford with a passenger just before 6am on August 28 last year when he sped past a police car near junction 8 for Hollingbourne at about 85mph. The police car driver activated his blue lights and siren to indicate to Flisher to stop, but he accelerated to 110mph. Flisher, of Foundry Wharf, Rochester, left the motorway at junction 9 and drove through two sets of red lights without stopping before returning to the motorway, this time driving towards London.

Prosecutor Craig Evans said the Seat accelerated to 120mph before a second police car joined the chase at junction seven for Maidstone.

Three more police cars were added at junction 6 for Aylesford and a further three at junction five. Mr Evans said: “In total, eight marked police cars were involved in the chase. The officers attempted to stop him with a rolling road block at 100mph.

“He evaded it by undertaking and using the hard shoulder at speeds of about 120mph, narrowly avoiding a collision.” At one point, Flisher threw a crow- bar out of his window. He left the motorway at junction 4 for Leybourne and lost control of the car and crashed onto the central verge when confronted by a lorry on a roundabout.

Attempts were made to box him in but Flisher “rammed his way out”. An officer who had approached on foot had to leap out of the way to avoid injury.

Flisher drove another 30 metres before being pinned against railings. He then jumped over them and ran across the carriageway before being caught. He was sentenced to 14 months for dangerous driving and four months consecutive for criminal damage.

Scott Flisher, 25