An ‘appalling’ driver led police on a high speed chase before trying to overtake cars through a small gap in traffic - and caused a huge crash. Daniel Matley, 27, was spotted in an Audi on false registration plates on the M60, leading them to believe it was stolen.
After engaging in a pursuit, Matley drove at speeds reaching 90 to 100 miles per hour, overtaking and undertaking other cars and going the wrong way round a roundabout.
The chase eventually came to an end when he tried to squeeze through a gap to overtake a car, and instead smashed into a number of parked and moving cars. Fortunately nobody was seriously injured, Minshull Street Crown Court heard.
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Matley admitted dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified, failure to provide a specimen of blood, and was yesterday (October 5) jailed for 20 months.
Summing up the case, Judge Bernadette Baxter said on September 6 this year, at around 10am on the M60, police spotted an Audi on false registration plates and believed it to be stolen. Officers tried to stop the car by putting out a stinger, but the driver, Matley, drove over it and pursuit ensued.
Captured on dashcam footage, the Audi was seen overtaking other cars at speeds of 100 miles per hour, going onto the wrong side of the road and going the wrong way round roundabouts.
At one stage a lorry could be seen reversing, and Matley drove onto the opposite side of the road at speed in order to get round it.
The 12-and-a-half minute chase finally came to an end when he tried to overtake another car through a small gap, and instead crashed into two moving cars and other parked cars.
Severe damage was caused to the other cars and the Audi he was driving was written off, the judge said.
But luckily nobody was seriously injured in the collision.
As he was arrested, Matley said: “I should have stopped, it was stupid. It’s because I’m disqualified, I know I’m going to prison.”
The arresting officer added in a statement that it was ‘some of the worst driving’ he had ever witnessed. He said Matley put 'both himself and members of the public at great risk and is very lucky of the fact that nobody was killed'.
Matley was taken to hospital following the collision where he was required to provide a sample of blood for testing. He refused to do so, prosecutor Kate Laverty said.
The car was later found to be registered to Matley, but had been put on false registration plates.
Matley was said to have eight previous convictions for 17 offences including dangerous driving and drug driving. He had recently been released from prison following a jail term for burglary.
Defending, Ian Ridgway said it was fortunate that nobody was injured. He added that Matley has since been recalled back to prison for the offence of burglary.
Sentencing, Judge Bernadette Baxter said: “I have seen the footage and this was the most appalling example of dangerous driving. It is truly miraculous nobody was killed or seriously injured.
“The reality is, that type of driving, persistently over 12-and-a-half minutes can only result in a lengthy custodial sentence. This was truly terrible dangerous driving which resulted in severe damage and loss to other people.”
Matley, of Highfield Close, Hyde, was jailed for 20 months and banned from driving for three years and ten months.
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