Danger-driver pulled a U-turn in middle of M4
A DANGEROUS driver pulled a U-turn on the M4 and drove the wrong way along a motorway slip road while trying to speed away from police.
Levi Jermyn, 23, sparked a police chase when officers saw him speeding in Newport city centre on May 10.
He failed to stop when indicated to do so and drove up to 80mph on residential roads in a bid to shake off police.
After entering the M4 westbound carriageway at junction 26 (Malpas), Jermyn drove in the hard shoulder to prevent police from drawing level with his black Volkswagen Passat and even performed a U-turn in the middle of the motorway before driving the wrong way down a slip road at junction 27.
Judge Dave Wynn Morgan told the defendant it was the worst case of dangerous driving the court had ever seen, during a sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Wednesday.
Prosecutor Abigail Jackson told the court officers also found cannabis in Jermyn’s car following his arrest, with the chase culminating in the defendant driving head on into a police vehicle. Fortunately, no-one was hurt.
The incident began at around 3pm when officers first saw Jermyn driving quickly through St Vincent Road.
When police carried out checks on his Passat they discovered the vehicle was uninsured.
Police attempted to get Jermyn to pull over but he continued into Bettws Lane from Malpas Road, and at 3.20pm he was pursued by another officer who followed him onto the M4.
Ms Jackson described the defendant as moving between lanes and was driving at 80mph before moving two wheels into the hard shoulder of the motorway.
Jermyn, of Clevedon Road, Newport, attempted to turn left onto the slip road but was prevented by the officer who pulled level with him.
But the defendant took a sharp right turn and crossed three lanes of traffic to head down the slip road at junction 27 – on the wrong side of the road.
Shortly later Jermyn crossed over the raised curb onto the correct side of the road but continued to drive through roundabouts and residential streets at 80mph, while taking some roundabouts on the other side of the road.
After continuing to drive dangerously through residential streets, the defendant collided with the rear of a police vehicle shortly before colliding with another police vehicle in a headon collision on Wharf Road.
Jermyn attempted to run away from the scene but was quickly stopped by police and he was arrested.
He immediately admitted to being disqualified from driving, and police found four bags each containing 3g of cannabis.
In his police interview, the defendant admitted all the offences but told officers he wouldn’t have had to drive in the way he did if the police hadn’t chased him.
He later pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving without insurance, driving while disqualified, and possession of cannabis.
Defence barrister David Leathley said his client was still a young man who had had a disadvantaged background in “the school of hard knocks”.
He added: “I am afraid he lost his head and he is not the first to do so with a police car in their rear view mirror.
“He is shameful and expressed his contrition.”
Sentencing, Judge Wynn Morgan paid tribute to the “skill and courage” of the officers pursuing Jermyn who were able to avoid injury.
He added: “This is one of the worst examples of dangerous driving that this court has come across, in particular the manoeuvre you performed on the M4 which frankly defies belief.
“The speeds with which you travelled in built up areas of central Newport could have caused complete carnage and it’s nothing short of a miracle that nobody was hurt or even worse. This was a truly terrifying piece of driving.”
Jermyn was sentenced to 16 months’ imprisonment and was disqualified from driving for three years once he is released from prison.