A DANGEROUS driver has been sentenced to prison following a police pursuit on the M40.
Warwickshire Police received report of a van driver who was behaving suspiciously at around 11.35pm on Saturday June 14 in Stratford.
As officers approached the van, the driver, Stuart Jones, aged 48 of Himley Road, Dudley, rammed the police vehicle and followed it in his van, before fleeing the scene. He continued to drive out of Stratford, often on the wrong side of the road, and without lights on.
By now on the M40, the van did a u-turn and drove the wrong way, before officers managed to stop it and detain Jones.
He subsequently pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance and assaulting police.
He was sentenced to 71 weeks in prison at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Tuesday September 2.
Sgt Sadie Shearsby said: “The officer who was driving the police vehicle was assaulted during this incident – something emergency service workers shouldn’t have to face while on duty.
“This job could have easily escalated, and serious harm could have been caused to the officers, our police dogs, members of the public and the defendant – so the quick stop of the vehicle on the M40 was a great tactical response.
“The teamwork shown and the officers hard work and efforts have helped to bring this case to a successful conclusion.”
