A man sped through residential streets at 80mph in a desperate attempt to escape police. Roger Miller, 44, drove on the wrong side of the road and jumped a red light after his car caught the attention of officers who chased him through Barry at high speeds.
The three-mile pursuit also saw him cut across a petrol station forecourt travelling at double the speed limit before he ran out of road after turning into a housing estate. He was tackled to the ground by police, who later discovered that he had been driving without insurance.
Miller, of Clun Terrace, Cardiff, appeared at Cardiff Crown Court for sentencing on Tuesday, August 2, having pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving without third party insurance and failing to stop when directed by police at Cardiff Magistrates in July. The court heard that the defendant's life had "unravelled" having been the victim of an attempted carjacking just weeks before his offence, which was described as "completely out of character".
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Thomas Stanway, prosecuting, told the court that shortly before midday on July 1 this year, officers from South Wales Police saw Miller driving a Vauxhall Astra along Skomer Road in Barry. The car caught the attention of the officers, as it had been involved in the aforementioned carjacking incident of which the defendant had been the victim.
After noticing the officers, Miller then suddenly performed a U-turn in front of the police car and started driving in the opposite direction. As he passed police, he turned his body into the drivers seat to avoid his face being seen.
In footage played to the court, the defendant is seen accelerating away at speed and driving towards Merthyr Dyfan Road as police activate their blue lights and began their pursuit. Despite travelling through a 30mph zone, he was driving at around 80mph, while he continued at nearly double the speed limit as he headed onto Winston Road.
Police chased Miller as turned onto the busier Port Road East and were able to catch up and move alongside his car after he became held up in traffic near a roundabout.. As he exited the roundabout, he stalled, with police shouting at him to turn off the ignition.
However, he ignored them and restarted the car, crossing onto the opposite side of the carriageway to go around the police car at drive off, again travelling at speed in the middle of the road as he overtook a minibus.
Mr Stanway added that the defendant reached speeds of 85mph as he approached the Waycroft Road roundabout, with officers briefly losing sight of his car before catching him up. He then turned left at speed to cut across the forecourt of a Texaco petrol station forecourt, missing other road users, before joining Pontypridd Road.
He drove on the wrong side of the carriageway at nearly double the speed limit before skipping a red light at the crossroads as he desperately tried to lose the pursuing officers. After he turned into a nearby housing estate, however, he found himself on a dead end road and, with nowhere else to go, fled the vehicle before being tackled to the ground by officers and arrested.
After being detained it was confirmed that he had been driving without insurance. In his police interview, Miller expressed his regret at the incident and admitted that his driving was “disgusting”.
Defence counsel Derrick Gooden, mitigating, said his client's actions were "completely out of character" having had no previous convictions. He did have two speeding penalties on his record, one in October 2018 and another in February 2019, for which he received a cumulative fine of £240 and a total of six points on his licence.
He said that Miller, who is originally from Jamaica, had been experiencing "ongoing issues" as a consequence of events a few weeks earlier when he had been the victim of an attempted carjacking and stabbing. The incident had caused his life "to unravel" and left him unable to work and relying on state benefits after exhausting his savings. He is now under the care of his GP and on medication.
Mr Gooden added that his client was under no illusion that his actions were "unjustifiable". However, he asked the presiding judge Recorder Richard Booth QC to "look between the lines" and see that the reasons behind Miller's offending were "rational although illegal."
Sentencing Miller, Recorder Booth said that his actions were "very dangerous" and that he was fortunate to avoid a collision with other road users. However, when considering his sentence, he also took into account the prior incident which had "turned [the defendant's] life upside down".
"I have been played the footage of the pursuit today in court and your driving speaks for itself," he said. "You admitted yourself that it was disgusting. You entered guilty pleas at Cardiff Magistrates in July and you have no previous convictions.
"The pursuit lasted just over three miles. During that time, you moved onto the opposite side of the carriageway, ran a red light and cut a corner at high speed. It was only through good fortune that a collision was avoided.
He added: "However, your life unravelled at the beginning of June, when you were the victim of an attempted carjacking and stabbing. This incident turned your life upside down. You are now under the care of your GP and on medication.
"This was a very dangerous piece of driving but in the context of your driving record and your life as a whole, it was an isolated incident. The seriousness of your offence is so high, however, that a fine or community order is not enough."
Miller was sentenced to eight months imprisonment suspended for 18 months. He must undergo an 18 months rehabilitation requirement and undertake 120 hours of unpaid work, as well as paying fines totalling £600 for failing to stop and driving without insurance. He was also disqualified from driving for two years and will have to take an extended driving test in order to regain a licence.
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