A driver wanted by the police raced through residential streets at breakneck speeds before crashing outside a school and running off. Joshua Gillatt sped over speed bumps, drove on the wrong side of the road, overtook cars dangerously, and went though a T-junction without stopping as he tried to get away from the pursuing officer. Police eventually called off the chase because of the risks to the public posed by his driving.
Swansea Crown Court heard the background to the driving was a domestic incident involving Gillatt and his partner which led to the police being called. David Singh, prosecuting, said officers began looking for the defendant's silver Ford Focus and at around 6pm on June 18 this year the vehicle was spotted on the A484 near Burry Port in Carmarthenshire. He said the officer began to follow the Ford and signalled for it to pull over but instead it accelerated away down the road and a pursuit ensued.
The court heard Gillatt drove through the streets of Burry Port at speeds approaching 80mph – racing down narrow residential streets lined with parked cars, overtaking other vehicles dangerously, flying over speed bumps, mounting pavements, and driving on the wrong side of the road. At one point he sped through a T-junction without slowing down. The prosecutor said the drivers of "numerous" other cars had to take evasive action to avoid collisions during the course of the incident.
