Banned driver 'led police in car chase' in Telford, trial hears

Ryan Jackson also clipped the front of the police car tailing him while performing a dangerous U-turn and drove at nearly 60mph through quiet residential streets before officers cornered him on a car park.

It happened just a month after he had been banned from the roads, Shrewsbury Crown Court was told.

Jackson, 20, of Wildwood, Woodside, Telford, is standing trial after denying dangerous driving and driving while disqualified on December 28 last year.

Miss Lisa Hancox, prosecuting, said the two officers first spotted the Vauxhall Astra on the A442 at Stirchley heading towards Telford Town Centre. She told the court police gave chase in a marked car just before 9pm.

"There is no dispute at all that the driving of that Astra was dangerous," she told the jury.

"There is no dispute at all that Ryan Jackson had been disqualified from driving by a court.

"So why are we here?"

Miss Hancox said: "Ryan Jackson says it wasn't him driving. The car was jointly owned by Mr Jackson and an associate of his, Kieran Thomas. CCTV footage at 20.51pm shows Kieran Thomas driving the car as it leaves the Murco petrol station.

"Some six minutes later, when the police chase starts, Kieran Thomas was no longer driving. This defendant, Mr Jackson, was.

"The police car followed that vehicle throughout and followed it all the way into the car park at Anytime Fitness in Lawley."

She added: "The Astra pulls into the car park with the police car on its tail. Both stop – police officers jump out and the focus is on the driver.

"The driver opened the door and started to run away. He was chased and detained. Who was that person? Mr Jackson.

"That is why the prosecution say you can be sure he was the driver."

Miss Hancox said: "He said it wasn't him driving at that time, that it was Kieran Thomas.

"Kieran Thomas was in that vehicle, he was sat in the back. He didn't run away. There was a third male in the car in the passenger seat. He didn't run away.

"The only person who tried to run away from that vehicle was Ryan Jackson. He said he got out of the driver's side but from the back. That is not what police say.

"If you find that the two officers are accurate, if you find they did indeed see Mr Jackson getting out of the driver's side, you can find him guilty of both offences."

The trial continues.