Police used stingers three times on BMW stolen from Bridgnorth house

Despite all four tyres being damaged, the BMW had continued at high speed while pursued by police before crashing into another car.

The driver of the BMW, 18-year-old Muhammad Hassan, appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday for sentence.

Hassan, of Denbigh Street, Birmingham, had admitted a charge of dangerous driving at an earlier hearing.

Mr Julian Taylor, prosecuting, said the £16,000 BMW had been put up for sale by its owner Jonty Withers in May this year. Two men came to his home and while Mr Withers was distracted they drove the BMW away.

Mr Taylor said it was not suggested the defendant was one of the two men but he was later behind the wheel of the stolen car.

He said police were able to track the BMW and within an hour it was known to be in convoy with a white Peugeot on the A41 near Wolverhampton.

Officers in an unmarked patrol car followed and the Peugeot pulled up, but the BMW continued to Chapel Ash where a stinger was first deployed and damaged the car's two nearside tyres.

On the A4150 ring road its speed increased and the police car followed using flashing lights and siren and as the BMW left the ring road on Willenhall Road, a van coming in the opposite direction had to take evasive action.

Mr Taylor said the speed was now 65mph and the driver lost control and was swerving from side to side over a hump back bridge where a second stinger damaged all four tyres.

The car continued into Willenhall Road – where the speed limit is 30mph – and was travelling at 90mph and at the junction with Old Heath Road went through lights on red.

For a third time police used a stinger device and as the BMW approached another set of lights it drove into the back of a blue Honda and the defendant was arrested.

Recorder Christopher Millington QC adjourned sentence until July 29 for the prosecution to provide evidence of any injuries suffered by the occupants of the Honda and the extent of the damage to both vehicles.