DANGER DRIVER WHO TOOK POLICE ON FOUR MILE CHASE AVOIDS JAIL
He was over limit and drove on footpath
DANGEROUS driver Christopher Johnson nearly tipped his van over as he jumped red lights and weaved in and out of traffic trying to give police the slip.
The 41-year-old – who had been drinking – even kept going when his tyres deflated after hitting a police stinger.
The four-mile chase also saw him drive on a footpath, narrowly avoid a head-on crash, and veer on to the wrong side of a bollard to overtake.
Now Johnson, of Norris Road, Tunstall, has avoided jail after pleading guilty to dangerous driving and drink-driving.
Stoke-on-trent Crown Court heard two Staffordshire Police officers were on duty in a marked police car on the A50 when they spotted Johnson’s Ford Transit van at 11.15pm on December 7 in 2019. They activated their blue sirens, but he failed to stop.
Katie Fox, prosecuting, said: “He went on the wrong side of the bollard to overtake the car. He violently weaved from left to right in front of that vehicle. He drove a short distance along a footpath.
“Traffic lights were red and he went through them. He performed a loop coming back round. On Queens Avenue he straddled both lanes and is said to have nearly tipped the van over.
“Another police team deployed a stinger on Green Bank Road, which caused front tyres to deflate. He continued. He had no control of the vehicle. The tyres were coming off the rims.
“He came to a stop at the island on High Street, Tunstall. Officers attempted to remove him. He resisted and was arrested. He continued to be aggressive and banging his head on the vehicle.”
The court heard the pursuit lasted for 12 minutes. A breath test revealed he had 53 mg of alcohol in his system against a legal limit of 35.
Johnson has a previous conviction for dangerous driving, for which he was sentenced to eight months in prison.
Rashad Mohammad, mitigating, said: “He had the good sense to plead guilty and not waste police time. It was a poor piece of driving. Whilst accepting it was dangerous, I do submit the speed wasn’t part of it.
“His speed was between 32mph and 35mph. There’s no suggestion he was belting it down the road.
“There was no injury or damage. There was no immediate threat to any members of the public.
“He was someone who regularly offended until 2016. Something caused him to stop. Since this offence there are no further offences against him.
“He has been waiting for two years for this case to be resolved. It’s been hanging over him for a significant period of time.
“He is attended this morning by his wife. They’ve got two children. They were separated and they are working towards reconciliation. The children are 17 and 10.
“He tells me he should’ve learnt his lesson the last time. He has been showing signs of turning a new leaf.”
Johnson was handed a 16-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. He must complete a thinking skills programme, a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement, complete 200 hours of unpaid work and pay £425 costs.
He is also disqualified from driving for three years, after which he must take an extensive retest.
Recorder Julian Taylor told him: “You have a very shocking record. You have got previous matters of a similar nature. You are fortunate there was no collision or no pedestrian was injured.”