Police pursuit ends in jail term
No-licence lockdown-buster was on bike with cloned plates
‘The fact it was in the lockdown makes it worse’ SERGEANT MITCH DARBY
West Midlands Police have released footage showing the reckless behaviour of a criminal during the first lockdown last year. Declan McCalla sped through residential streets clocking up to 90mph in 30mph zones, ran red lights, mounted pavements and performed what officers called “shocking overtakes” but failed to lose the marked police bikes giving chase. He came to the attention of the police after reports of a rider doing stunts in the streets. McCalla also rode the wrong way around several roundabouts before heading across football pitches where the eight-mile pursuit came to a crashing end. Ditching the bike, the 25-yearold made a run for it but was later found hiding in a porch.
The white Yamaha MT-07 McCalla is seen riding in the video had cloned plates that matched an orange bike registered in the Preston area. He later admitted dangerous driving and riding without a licence or insurance for which he was handed a 14-month prison sentence at Wolverhampton Crown Court earlier this year. “The standard of McCalla’s riding was truly shocking; he ramped up pavements and sped across public parks. He could easily have put pedestrians at risk of serious injury,” said Traffic Sergeant Mitch Darby. “But it was all the more outrageous given that we caught him during the middle of lockdown. People were being urged to stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives – but McCalla used the quiet roads to ride at excess speed.” “Anti-social off-road biking is a real concern for our communities. We’ve responded by running operations to catch offenders and they will continue throughout the summer. Anyone who rides dangerously – or rides an off-road bike illegally on public roads or in parks – runs the risk of being arrested and having their bike seized and crushed,” Sgt Darby added.