110mph Telford police chase driver avoids prison

Sean O'Neill drove the wrong way around a roundabout, sped through red lights and overtook cars on narrow roads in the Telford area before hitting top speeds on the M54.

He was only brought to a stop by a Stinger device deployed by police which burst two of his tyres and rendered the car immobile on the hard shoulder of the motorway.

The 22-year-old fled the car but was caught and arrested by police as he attempted to scale a wall to get away.

O'Neill admitted dangerous driving and driving without insurance at a previous hearing and appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday to be sentenced. Judge Peter Barrie was told it was an "out of character" offence for O'Neill and spared him a jail term.

Miss Samantha Powis, prosecuting, said officers in an unmarked police car were behind the vehicle O'Neill was driving at about 7.30pm on July 11 last year on The Wharfage in Ironbridge.

O'Neill was seen smoking and they could smell cannabis.

The officers put the blue lights on behind him.

"The defendant pulled out, overtaking a bus that was in front of him and accelerating very quickly," Miss Powis said. "The sirens went on and the police began to pursue him."

Miss Powis said O'Neill initially denied he was the driver.

But she told the court CCTV from earlier that evening showed the driver of the car was wearing shorts – and O'Neill was the only one caught at the scene wearing shorts.

Mr Dean Easthope, for O'Neill, said his client worked for Greenway Waste Recycling Centre and was considered an "asset" to the firm.

"This is very out of character," Mr Easthope said.

"He thought he was doing the responsible thing, he agreed to drive the car as he was the only one who had not been drinking.

"But things obviously spiralled out of control."

O'Neill, of Harley Crescent, Wellington, was sentenced to a 12-month community order by Judge Barrie, who told him: "It is remarkable good fortune that nobody was injured as a result of your driving in July last year.

"You were going through red lights, the wrong way on roundabouts, driving at over 100mph before you were stopped by a Stinger device.

"You were driving the car because you hadn't been drinking, you were the safest option.

"But you were driving in a highly dangerous way."

O'Neill was also put on a curfew for eight weeks, banned from driving for a year, ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and fined £300 with £535 court costs.