Woman fleeing police in car crashes into a tree

She tried to escape on foot but was caught

A WOMAN who fled at speed from a pursuing police car before smashing into a tree has appeared in court.

On April 17, Toni Hall, 29, drove past a parked police car and the officers’ computer told them the Fiat Punto she was driving had been stolen.

The officers drove behind the car with their siren on and their blue lights flashing but instead of slowing down, Hall sped away from them, overtaking a lorry and tractor before speeding through a built up area and a farm, later crashing into a tree and trying to flee on foot.

After she was caught the offic- ers found white powder in the car, which she told them was amphetamines.

At Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (April 19) Hall, of Pinfold Gate, Loughborough, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified, driving without insurance and an earlier charge of shoplifting.

For the shoplifting offence - stealing a £575 epilator from Boots on April 11 - she was jailed for four weeks and ordered to pay £115 compensation.

She was remanded back into custody and is due to appear at Leicester Crown Court on May 16 for sentencing for the driving offences.

Prosecutor Kwok Wan told the magistrates that further charges of aggravated vehicle taking and failure to stop for police had been withdrawn.

Describing the police pursuit, which occurred in the Barlestone area, to the west of Leicester, he said: “At 2.30pm yesterday afternoon (Tuesday) on the B585 between Ellistown and Bagworth, police were parked when the vehicle triggered their automatic number plate recognition system.

“The vehicle had been reported stolen.

“They activated their lights and siren but the vehicle continued and overtook a lorry and then a tractor and was driven in excess of the speed limit, narrowly miss- ing other road users.

“The defendant has driven through built-up areas putting members of the public at risk.

“The defendant then drove through a farm, lost control and collided with a tree. The defendant left the vehicle and ran into a field before being detained.”

He said the powder that Hall said was amphetamines was still undergoing tests.

As well as the charges she pleaded guilty to, Hall, who has previous convictions including burglary, admitted being in breach of a conditional discharge. She was handed a four-week jail sentence for the breach, to be served at the same time as the shoplifting sentence.