A Consett drug-driver who was banned from getting behind the wheel led police on a high speed chase before smashing head-on into a car.
Wayne Dodds had a cocktail of four different drugs in his system when he took off from police after they attempted to pull him over on June 28, last year. The 38-year-old uninsured driver, who had morphine and cannabis in his system, was in a Transit van when he led police on a high speed chase through County Durham.
The pursuit got so dangerous the police aborted the chase out of safety reasons, with Dodds finally being arrested after being involved in a head-on collision with another vehicle and causing injuries to an innocent motorist. Dodds appeared at Durham Crown Court to be sentenced for dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified, driving whilst unfit through drugs, and driving without insurance. He pleaded guilty to the charges at a previous hearing.
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Ellen Wright, prosecuting, said police were on duty in a marked car when they saw Dodds driving a white van at around 4.30pm. "The defendant drove past in a white van and piqued the interest of the officers as it was in a poor condition. The registration of the van was checked on the police computer and appeared to have no insurance. They followed the van and it appeared to change lanes quickly and the police activated their sirens and blue lights."
But Dodds didn't stop and instead accelerated away, driving at 60mph in a 40mph zone and even went off road and cut across grass to join the A692. At one point, Dodds deliberately hit a traffic cone in the hope of impeding the police from following. He also drove on the wrong side of the road and overtook other vehicles.
Ms Wright said: "He cut a corner in Dipton and across to another lane, he passed the church at 67mph and nearly hit an oncoming vehicle but it swerved at the last minute. He continued at speed and drove on the wrong side of the road. The defendant then collided with a Vauxhall Crossland but continued at speed on the wrong side of the road. The police aborted the pursuit as there were concerns over the risk."
After the chase was abandoned, a motorist was approaching a roundabout heading towards Dipton when Dodds struck the vehicle head-on. The motorist's airbag deployed and struck the man in the face, with Dodds apologising after getting out of the van with the engine running and fleeing. The man subsequently went to hospital to be treated for burns due to the airbag deploying, the court heard.
When police finally caught up with Dodds, he was described as "frothing at the mouth" and told officers he'd "injected heroin". Ms Wright said the van belonged to a Consett delivery business Dodds had been employed by, but it was only insured to be driven on delivery days. The court heard that Dodds, who had 30 previous convictions for 63 offences, did not have permission to be driving the van on that day. Following tests, Dodds was also found to have drugs including morphine and cannabis in his system.
Jennifer Coxon, defending Dodds, said he "accepts the seriousness" of the offences and was "deeply remorseful of his behaviour". She said: "He took up employment and at the time he was driving he knew he had no licence, when police wanted to check his details, he panicked, and while under the influence of a variety of drugs, he made a very silly decision. A one he is extremely remorseful of." Ms Coxon added that Dodds had "long standing issues with drugs".
Sentencing Dodds, of Church Street, Consett, Judge Ray Singh, said he had taken a "cocktail of at least four different types of drugs" and drove the van "almost as if it was a weapon". Dodds was jailed for 14 months and banned from driving for three years, which was extended by seven months.
