PC was inches from speeding traffic as he nabbed driver

MAN ‘IGN0RED’ TWO BIDS TO GET HIM OFF THE BUSY M1

A POLICE officer said a dangerous driver he stopped on the M1 put him in “one of the most dangerous situations he has ever been in” as cars and lorries passed just inches away at speed.

PC Dave Naylor’s comments were read to Derby Crown Court at the sentencing hearing for fleeing motorist Mark Edwards. The 28-year-old was twice blocked in by police cars trying to force him off the northbound carriageway.

He did eventually stop in the inside lane and his passenger fled into nearby woods.

But as Edwards was arrested, PC Naylor had to deal with traffic passing him at in excess of 70mph.

However, Judge Shaun Smith QC said what Edwards did was “more dangerous – bordering on stupidity”.

He said: “You are a bit of a scally really, aren’t you? You have previous convictions for all sorts of things. There are many, many types of dangerous driving that are more dangerous than this.

“That is not to take anything away from what you did but, quite frankly, I take the view that this is not the most serious.

“You were stopped on what would have been the hard shoulder had this stretch of motorway not been changed to a smart motorway.

“There is no suggestion you tried to get away from the police – you just weren’t prepared to stop. You did not put other road users at risk.”

Sarah Allen, prosecuting, said the offence took place on M1 near Chesterfield at about 3pm on May 16. She said officers on patrol in a marked car saw Edwards drive past them in a Vauxhall Astra.

Miss Allen said a check on the force’s national computer revealed the number plate was registered to a lady who lived in Edinburgh, so they chose to pull it over.

She said: “Other police cars joined the attempt and attempted to block the defendant’s car in as it approached junction 29.

“The front car illuminated a sign which read ‘follow me,’ with the intention of taking the defendant’s car off at that junction.

“But instead he chose to carry on the inside lane of the M1, past junction 30, where they tried unsuccessfully a second time to take the vehicle off the motorway.”

Miss Allen said further up the carriageway, on a stretch of the M1 which does not have a hard shoulder, the defendant then suddenly stopped.

She said: “A passenger got out and fled into a nearby wooded area – but was quickly found.

“The defendant was arrested on a ‘live’ lane of the motorways and it is worth noting that PC Naylor described what was happening as ‘one of the most dangerous situation he’s ever been in as a police officer.’

“He said HGVs and cars were passing within 2ft of him at 70mph or more.”

Miss Allen said Edwards, of Bricknell Walk, Wythenshawe, Manchester, told officers he had not pulled off the motorway at junctions 29 or 30 because he was ‘confused about the directions’ the officers were giving him.’”

But he later pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, using a fraudulent registration plate and driving without insurance.

Judge Smith handed Edwards a 12-month community order, with 200 hours’ unpaid work and disqualified him from driving for a year.