When police responded to a report of a child driving a car a man drove off from the scene thinking he would be arrested, a court heard. But after some 50 yards with police in hot pursuit he drove through a narrow gap, stopped, and was taken to the ground and arrested.
It transpired Michael O'Niell shared the same information on the Police National Computer (PNC) as his brother, Bristol Crown Court was told. And, fearing his brother was wanted for theft, O'Niell panicked and scarpered.
The 34-year-old landscape gardener, of Sunny Ray Park in New Wellington, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving without insurance on June 17. The recorder Mr David Chidgey handed him 20 weeks' jail suspended for 18 months.
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The recorder told O'Niell: "You panicked because you feared there was going to be a misunderstanding in relation to who you were. That was you would be responsible for something your brother was accused of. You stopped pretty quick."
O'Niell was told to do 50 hours' unpaid work and was banned from driving for 12 months pending an extended driving test. He was ordered to pay £300 prosecution costs.
Jack Barros, prosecuting, said police were called to Beach Lawns, Weston-super-Mare after a report of a child driving a vehicle. Police checked the PNC discovered the same details for two people, with one wanted for theft. When they arrived at the scene O'Niell disappeared into a caravan.
Shortly after he sprinted to a car - chased by officers - and drove across the lawns and through a small gap before stopping. He was then arrested as a crowd looked on.
Kannan Siva, defending, said the father-of-five had been remanded in custody since and had "missed the first steps" of his daughter. Mr Siva told the court: "He thought 'there's the police, its not me'. "He had driven from Blackburn for a family holiday. It was 30 seconds of madness over less than 50 yards."
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