A high-speed biker who tried to flee from the police during a pursuit (scroll down for footage) also tried to escape from court when he was sentenced to 46 weeks behind bars.
Marian Dragoi, 19, led police on a high-speed pursuit along the M1 on 20th May 2020. He rode at speeds of up to 180 MPH on his Honda CBR in his bid to try and get away from the police.
During the pursuit, Dragoi raced on the wrong side of the road and blew through countless red lights.
Officers had backed off from the pursuit, but that did not stop Dragoi’s life-or-death attempt to try and get away from officers.
The National Police Air Service were recording Dragoi’s every move.
Yesterday (14th Jan) Dragoi appeared at Wood Green Crown Court for sentencing.
After hearing that he would spend the next 46 weeks in a prison cell, he lept over the chest-high barrier in the dock and made a run for it.
Security officers chased after Dragoi as he ran out of the courtroom and towards the court’s exit.
He ran down four flights of stairs as the security officers, who were now joined by two police officers, gave chase.
Dragoi was detained just as he reached the exit.
Judge Andrew Holmes then said:
‘It seems to me that that is a matter for the police to investigate and charge him as appropriate.
‘It does not amount to a contempt of court but it does amount to a criminal offence.’
Talking about the 180 MPH pursuit shortly after Dragoi was arrested, Sergeant Tony McGovern said:
‘At one point of the pursuit, Dragoi went straight through every single red light he was confronted with, rode on the wrong side of the road in his attempts to get away and even mounted pavements.
‘Throughout the pursuit, he continued to ride in a dangerous manner, and he only had the NPAS helicopter tracking him – without any police vehicles on the ground anywhere near him.
‘He failed to stop for police and continued to put his own life and the lives of other road users, as well as innocent pedestrians, into serious danger.
‘Our highly trained Operation Venice officers are out on the streets of London every day fighting moped, scooter and motorbike enabled crimes and I hope this case acts as a deterrent to anyone considering to display such erratic behaviour on our roads.’
Dragoi was caught by officers when he stopped at a petrol station to get some fuel.
Sentencing Dragoi, Judge Holmes told him:
‘You fall to be sentenced for one of the worst forms of dangerous driving I’ve seen in a long time.
‘You proceeded through the streets of north London and then the M1 at terrifying speeds.
‘In 20 mile-an-hour areas you were doing 50 to 60, making hard turns, onto pavements, every light you came across you went across, knowing you were putting yourself at serious harm and other members of the public.
‘Having travelled at 70 on Lordship Lane and gone onto the wrong side of the road and made way onto the A10, police cars were struggling to keep up.
‘Then you went to the M1, the speeds you went to were truly frightening.
‘Got to 170 to 180 miles an hour as you went from one county to the next, to the next.
‘To finish off this particularly bad piece of driving you realised needed to go into a service station, so you stopped, turned the bike around, drove against the traffic into a service station.
‘That in itself was a piece of stupidity, the time of night it suggests it was quiet, all it took was one driver.
‘It seems that you at least initially tested positive for cocaine, no charge followed.
‘It is difficult to imagine a more serious case of more dangerous driving for about 30 minutes, over 70 or 80 miles and countless motorists, pedestrians and members of the public that must have been close to you in that period of time.
‘If this is not a case that merits immediate detention, I don’t know what is.
‘You must understand that the offence is so serious that only a period of detention can be imposed, you will spend one half in custody before being considered for release.’
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46 weeks, out after 23, maybe less, for all that? What a joke. He should have gone down for years plus a few more for escaping from custody. Again, the question must be asked. Is this guy a British citizen? If not, sling him out post sentence and keep him interned until he is on the plane.
Any nonsense, keep him in internment until a military flight can be organised then chain him to the deck of a Hercules. No jumping over barriers then. Of course, should he wish to leave the aircraft in mid flight, not too much effort should be extended in preventing him.