Drug-driver rammed woman’s car as he tried to escape police
ABMW driver who had been snorting cocaine rammed a ‘terrified’ woman’s car into a road junction in a desperate bid to escape from police, a court has heard.
Edward John Lawrence Buckley, 35, of Bond Street, Macclesfield, who had been convicted three times previously of drink driving, was told by a judge that he was ‘entirely selfish’ and had ‘no respect whatsoever for other road users’.
Chester Crown Court heard that a white BMW registered to Buckley had been reported as driving at excess speed around Macclesfield around 3pm on April, 25 last year.
Prosecutor Chris Taylor told the court that at around 10pm the same day the vehicle came to the attention of a police patrol on Victoria Road, Macclesfield, due to its high speed. It was followed on to Prestbury Road and Chester Road by officers who lost sight of it on Crosshall Street before eventually catching up to it on Bond Court, close to Buckley’s home address.
Mr Taylor, said: “The BMW then stopped and an officer approached the defendant’s BMW on foot.
“As the officer drew alongside his car he all of a sudden accelerated away.
“His car then rammed into an Audi driven by witness Catherine Burns which was reversing.
“The action resulted in her car being pushed along Bond Street towards a junction.”
The court heard that police officers descended on the BMW and dragged Buckley out of the vehicle.
After his arrest Buckley tested positive for cocaine and a derivative of the drug, telling police in interview he had snorted ‘one or two lines’ prior to the incident.
In a victim personal statement Miss Burns said the ramming of her car had left her with a painful shoulder injury and she had been left very anxious because she would she Buckley’s car outside his home and would become concerned she would bump into him.
Buckley, who works as a scaffolder, had earlier pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, two counts of drug driving and failing to stop for a uniformed officer.
The court heard he had three previous convictions for drink driving and had committed a further offence of driving while disqualified just two days after receiving a previous driving ban.
Defending, Ronan Maguire said his client ‘expressed deep remorse for his actions’.
Judge Patrick Thompson told Buckley that his actions had left Miss
Buckley ‘terrified and upset’ and that he had not learned the lessons of his previous convictions.
He said he had no option than to immediately send him to prison.
He jailed Buckley for nine months and banned him from the roads for five years and four months.