An aggressive dad who assaulted a police officer, caused damage to a wall and smashed head-on into a car during a high speed chase.
Steven Finley, who has multiple previous convictions for driving offences, dug his thumb into the wrist of a police officer when they attempted to arrest him and was "ranting and raving" at a police station. Days later, the 49-year-old was involved in a police chase that ended when he smashed into a car and caused injury to a passenger.
On Tuesday, Finley, of Hall Crescent, Horden, appeared at Durham Crown Court to be sentenced for assaulting a police officer, failing to provide a specimen and dangerous driving. He pleaded guilty to the charges at a previous hearing.
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Rebecca Brown, prosecuting, said on March 29 police went to Finley's address following allegations made against him regarding domestic violence and "erratic driving". She said: "He answered the door and a large Staffy-type dog ran out and he refused to put it in another room. He was argumentative and while outside he repeatedly swore and shouted 'I've done nothing'. He was telling them to f*** off and he was arrested. That didn't deter him and he continued to shout and swear. He called an officer a f****** idiot and he was handcuffed.
"The defendant then grabbed the police officer's left wrist and dug his thumb into the wrist, digging into the veins. The defendant tried to pull away and was taken to the floor and taken to custody in a caged van." Ms Brown said Finley showed signs of "being under the influence" but refused to provide a breath sample and was "ranting and raving at the station".
Finley was later released on bail, but days later, on April 10, he was back in trouble with the police. Ms Brown said officers were on duty in the Tenth Street area of Horden when a member of the public approached them and told them a drunk driver had hit a home and that rubble could be seen on the floor. She said: "A search was conducted and the defendant was found in an alleyway sitting in the driving seat of a Citroën Xsara. Police approached him and asked him to get out, the defendant drove away. There was then a police pursuit through Horden for around two minutes."
Ms Brown said Finley drove at speeds of up to 50mph in 30mph zones and was "swerving in and out" of traffic. He also drove down the wrong side of Sunderland Road while overtaking other vehicles. The chase ended when Finley smashed head-on into an oncoming car and he was arrested at the roadside. There was a "clear sense of him being drunk" but a roadside breath test was carried out incorrectly, the court heard.
The car Finley smashed into was occupied by three people at the time and one of them, a woman, had to be rushed to hospital with a suspected collarbone fracture and severe concussion, resulting in memory loss. In a victim statement she said the crash left her with a "long lasting impact on physical and psychological" health.
The court heard that Finley had 38 previous convictions for 174 offences, 32 of which were for driving offences which began in 1989. In 2015 he also received a suspended prison sentence for driving matters, Ms Brown said.
Robin Turton, defending, said around seven years ago Finley had "turned his life around", but following a family tragedy, he moved back to the North East to start fresh with his children. He said: "What appears to set him off the rails is the breakdown of his relationship. The relationship ran into difficulties and a false allegation was made to police. He became angry because he says he knew he didn't do anything wrong. He got frustrated and angry." He added: "There is little that can be said for the dangerous driving matter, but he pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity."
Sentencing Finley, Judge James Adkin, the Recorder of Durham, jailed him for 12 months and banned him from driving for two years and six months. He will also have to sit an extended re-test.
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