A man who was found in possession of drugs has been jailed after he failed to stop for police and crashed into another vehicle.
Harrison Wood, aged 18 and of Redditch, appeared at Gloucester Crown Court on Monday (21 September) and was sentenced to three years and one month imprisonment.
As well as being jailed, Wood was disqualified from driving for three-and-a-half years upon his release from prison and has to take an extended driving test.
He had previously pleaded guilty to:
• Being concerned in the supply of class A drugs namely Diamorphine;
• Dangerous driving;
• Driving without third party insurance;
• Driving without a licence.
The court heard how police were contacted on Thursday 25 June and alerted to a red Volkswagen Golf which was being driven in the Hucclecote area of Gloucester and was suspected to have been stolen.
The Volkswagen Golf was located in the car park of the Wagon and Horses public house on Hucclecote Road and officers attempted to block the car in. However, Wood rammed his way free and a short pursuit followed.
Despite sustaining significant damage to his car, Wood continued driving along Hucclecote Road towards Gloucester at speed, in a dangerous manner and in a vehicle that was now in a dangerous condition.
Wood was recorded on dashcam and witnessed driving at speeds in excess of 50mph in a 30mph zone, whilst still pulling away from the pursuing police vehicles with lights and sirens.
He was seen to weave in and out of stationary and moving traffic including buses, causing other vehicles to take evasive action by mounting the pavement, and driving through a red traffic light.
Several stingers were deployed in an attempt to get Wood to safely stop. He continued to Church Lane in Barnwood, where he crashed into another motorist and ran away.
A foot chase ensued and Wood scaled a wall into a children’s nursery and ran through the garden of the premises.
Due to his presence in the grounds of the nursery, staff went into emergency lockdown procedures to protect the children.
Wood was lost from sight and the car he was driving was found to be a stolen vehicle from Bristol. It was forensically recovered and examined.
Enquiries continued and, on Thursday 2 July, police attended an address as a result of enquiries which suggested he was living there with a female.
The address was searched and officers found a pot containing white powder wraps and a blue carrier bag containing brown powder.
This bag was found to be 377 grams of a mix of caffeine and paracetamol, which is a common bulking substance used to increase the volume of heroin.
Officers also found 13.03 grams of diamorphine which is a strong opioid and also used in the production of heroin.
Wood’s mobile phone was reviewed and officers found messages which showed he was an active participant in sourcing, transporting and supplying controlled drugs.
He was subsequently arrested and charged in connection with the incident. He pleaded guilty to several offences following a hearing on Wednesday 12 August.
At the conclusion of sentencing, Detective Sergeant Samantha Martin from the Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: “This conviction highlights the serious consequences of dangerous driving and the risks posed to other road users and members of the public.
“Wood’s decision to drive dangerously and fail to stop for police placed lives at risk and could have resulted in devastating consequences.
“We understand that young people can make poor decisions, but dangerous driving is never worth the risk.
“This case demonstrates that we will take robust action against those who put others in danger, and we will continue to work to keep our roads and communities safe.”
Anyone who has concerns or intelligence about drug dealing can report this to police via the following link: https://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/soh/seen-or-heard/
Alternatively you can report information anonymously through the independent crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or visiting their website: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/give-information-anonymously