Driver fled after police chase
A POLICE chase resulted in a fleeing motorist crashing into another car on a housing estate before escaping on foot.
The drama happened at The Nightingales, Newbury, when officers on mobile patrol noticed a black Ford Fiesta drive past.
What caught their eye was the driver. Because at the wheel was Callum Brown – and he, as they knew, was disqualified from driving.
Disaster was just moments away.
Brown, aged 20, of Dickens Walk in Newbury, went on trial at Reading Crown Court where he denied a charge of driving dangerously on December 30, 2020, claiming it was a case of mistaken identity.
Peter Pride, prosecuting, said the officers noticed the Fiesta turning from Greenham Road into The Nightingales around 1.20pm and turned to pursue it.
As they turned a bend, the court heard, they saw the wreckage of the Fiesta – which had “horribly bald tyres” according to Mr Pride – where it had ploughed into a parked Dacia Duster.
The Fiesta was empty and Mr Pride added: “The officers saw an individual running away from the scene... he was running in the direction of Mr Brown’s home address.
“The Crown says that this is an officer who knew the defendant and that you can safely rely upon his recognition of the defendant as having been the driver.”
Jurors heard Brown was later arrested and interviewed under caution by the same officer.
Mr Pride said: “Mr Brown exercised his right to make no comment.
“However, he subsequently gave a defence saying he wasn’t the driver; that he had been elsewhere and that this is a case of mistaken identity.”
But the jury did not believe Brown’s account. They returned with a unanimous guilty verdict on Friday, October 21, after deliberating for just one-hour-and-17 minutes following the two-day trial.
Brown also has convictions for previous offences, including motoring offences and assaulting a police officer.
Judge Hassan Khan ordered pre-sentence reports and scheduled the sentencing hearing for Thursday, December 1. Brown was meanwhile granted unconditional bail.