A disqualified driver has been jailed after he led police on a "dangerous" seven-mile pursuit through the streets of Sunderland.
Stuart William Trotter was spotted by specialist officers from Northumbria Police's Motor Patrols department driving at excessive speeds on Dairy Lane in Houghton-le-Spring in the early hours of July 7 last year. He was told to pull over by officers but Trotter continued driving at a high speed for more than 15 minutes.
At one point, Trotter reached up to 80mph in a residential 30mph zone and so officers decided to deploy a stinger device in an attempt to damage his tyres and to stop the speeding vehicle. However, the 43-year-old continued driving despite the damage to his Audi A3.
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However, his luck soon ran out after he attempted to drive down an embankment and had to dump his vehicle and flee the scene while officers chased him on foot. Trotter, of Pinewood Avenue in Washington, was subsequently arrested and charged.
He later admitted dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, failing to provide a specimen, and having no insurance at Newcastle Crown Court on July 12 of this year. He was remanded into custody before appearing before the same courts on August 23.
Trotter was subsequently jailed for 18 months and handed a further three-year driving ban which comes into effect following his custodial sentence.
Sergeant Glen Robson, of Northumbria Police’s Operation Dragoon team, said: "It is clear that Trotter has shown a total disregard for the law and for the safety of other road users.
"This was a potentially dangerous incident that saw officers led on a 15-minute pursuit by a driver who showed little desire to pull over and hand himself in. And while the driver still tried to evade officers on foot, his luck certainly ran out with Trotter put in handcuffs just moments after the pursuit ended.
"The law is not optional, and when anybody gets behind the wheel of a car and drives dangerously, they risk ruining more than one life forever. His actions were selfish and reckless – and I am pleased that Trotter is now behind bars and banned from the roads for a significant period of time.
"We will continue to use every tactic at our disposal to protect all our road users and ensure any perpetrators are brought to justice."
Northumbria Police continue to support the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Drink and Drug Driving campaign which runs until August 28. Do you have a passion for policing and helping to keep others safe? Check out the Northumbria Police careers website for more information on police officer recruitment and the entry routes on offer.
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