A drug dealer who tried to evade police in a high speed car chase almost hit a small child, a court has heard.
Stephen Hone, of Baffin Close, Leasowe, appeared in Liverpool Crown Court for one count of dangerous driving and one count of possession with intent to supply cocaine after he was involved in a high speed police chase. Paul Blasbury, prosecuting, explained that at around 1pm on September 1, 2021, an officer was driving a marked police car on Kings Street, Wallasey, when he spotted a man driving a Ford Mondeo which was only insured to a woman.
The officer signalled for the car to pull over, and the man got out and said “thanks very much”. However, as the officer began getting out of his car, the driver jumped back into the vehicle and sped off.
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Mr Blasbury said: “The officer initiated pursuit of the vehicle, which lasted around ten minutes.” A high speed chase continued through Liscard and Wallasey Village, during which time Hone reached speeds of 60mph, forced his way through traffic, overtook cars on the wrong side of the road, and clipped another car being driven by a member of the public, damaging that car and his own.
The dad-of-two continued to try to evade police, driving over a central reservation before driving the wrong way over the flyover on the A554 dual carriageway in Wallasey, facing oncoming traffic. The officer did not feel safe to continue the chase at this point as he would have to pursue the vehicle the wrong way down the dual carriageway, but did join the A554 in the correct lane.
He spotted the Mondeo on the opposing carriageway, where it attempted such a sharp turn at such high speeds, that it rotated several times in the road before turning left off the carriageway down Leasowe road towards Moreton. Hone continued to drive at speeds and overtake vehicles on the wrong side of the road, and speeding through an estate onto Hoylake Road towards Morton Cross.
Just before the end of the pursuit, the car sped so close to a small child that they had to be picked up by a member of the public to avoid being hit. The dad then attempted to make a sharp turn but was driving at such high speeds that he had to slam on the brakes, causing them to lock up and the car to skid to a stop on the wrong side of the road, facing oncoming traffic.
At this point, Hone vacated the car and ran away, throwing a white phone as he fled. He was eventually caught by the officer, but continued to struggle violently, so the officer sprayed him with incapacitant.
Three knotted plastic packages, amounting to 2.76 grams of cocaine with a 39% purity and a street value of around £120-300, and around £300 in cash. The phone was also found, and contained messages relating to drug dealing, such as “can you sort a hundred out at mine please and I’ll transfer”.
Bags, scales, a sim card, and other drugs paraphernalia were found at his home. Hone has 20 previous convictions for 40 offences dating back to February 1997, but mostly relating to public order, harassment and domestic violence charges.
John Weate, defending, highlighted that his client has not been before the courts since 2012, and has not committed any offences since this incident. He said: “He is heavily convicted as a younger man, but there is a real gap in his offending behaviour between his last conviction and these matters.
“He has taken control of his life and the issues that affected him, namely his own cocaine addiction.” Mr Weate told the court that Hone had only turned to drug dealing because of his loss of income as a self-employed plasterer during the pandemic.
He added: “As a result of financial position and pressures that applied to him, he succumbed to the supply of cocaine. He panicked because he knew what the officers would find and it went from bad to worse.
“Through me he has asked that he gives his apologies and he understands the risks not only he put to himself, but to others.”
In sentencing, Judge Recorder Kate Cornell said: “Your driving was particularly bad, numerous rules of the road were broken.
“This was a long pursuit in a built up area in the middle of the day, members of the public were around, in particular a child who had to be pulled out of the way.”
Hone was sentenced to 28 months for the drugs offence, and four months for dangerous driving, to be served consecutively totalling 32 months.
He was also disqualified from driving for a total of 32 months, and must complete an extended retest before he drives again.
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