Jaguar driver mounted pavements and drove wrong way down one-way streets in 90mph Shrewsbury police chase
A Jaguar driver who led police on a 90mph chase through Shrewsbury was lucky not to kill anyone, a judge has said.
Martin McDonagh led police on a 10 minute chase through the town at speeds of up to 90mph, that saw him drive the wrong way around a roundabout, mount the pavement, and drive the wrong way down one-way streets.
Shrewsbury Crown Court was told that McDonagh had a "terrible record of driving offences" and was already disqualified from driving for eight years in the Republic of Ireland (ROI).
McDonagh, of a caravan park near Markfield in Leicestershire, had also been jailed for six months for dangerous driving in the ROI.
Shrewsbury Crown Court was told that McDonagh had been seen by police driving a Jaguar X-Type on Battlefield Road at around 1.15am on June 11.
The car had fake number plates that actually belonged to a Vauxhall Astra.
Paul Spratt, prosecuting, told the court that when police had activated blue lights to stop the car, McDonagh had sped off on Harlescott Lane and into Lancaster Road at up to 90mph.
On Ditherington Road the Jaguar continued at around 60mph with McDonagh running a red light in a bid to escape from police.
The car continued along Cross Street and Castle Street at speeds in excess of 60mph running another red light and driving against the flow of traffic.
Mr Spratt said: "These areas at this time of night are very lively and are populated by a number of pedestrians."
The Jaguar was then said to have sped along Smithfield Road before driving around the Frankwell Island the wrong way, continuing at up to 80mph on The Mount.
The car stopped in an industrial area at what was described as a caravan site and as the vehicle had slowed police took the decision to drive into the vehicle in an attempt to prevent the occupants from running.
Despite the attempt McDonagh managed to run off and was arrested after an officer caught up with him when he attempted to knock on the doors of nearby caravans.
Sentencing McDonagh to 20 months custody Judge Jonathan Gosling said: "This police chase, the chase itself lasted not short of 10 minutes, was a terrible piece of driving.
"You bypassed police cars by driving on the pavement disregarding every traffic restriction. You negotiated a traffic island anti-clockwise and caused other vehicles to take action to avoid a collision. All of this on a Saturday morning when there were pedestrians about."
He added: "It was lucky no one was killed as a result of driving like that. You are not terribly experienced and had only in your mind to get away."
McDonagh, who had pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and driving while disqualified, was sentenced to 20 months custody, disqualified from driving for five years and will have to perform an extended test before he can drive again.
