A male who led police on a long and dangerous pursuit across Cambridge has been sent to prison.
Joseph Mahon, 24, swerved onto the wrong side of the road into the face of on-coming traffic several times during the 40-minute pursuit (scroll down for video).
Mahon accelerated away from officers in his Ford transit, reaching speeds of up to double the speed limit, before slamming on his breaks and ramming into officers by reversing into the front of their vehicles
He continued to drive on the wrong side of the road before driving the wrong way around a roundabout.
Mahon drove through a set of red traffic lights and then attempted to join the M11 by driving the WRONG WAY up a slip-road.
Due to the nature of his driving, officers pulled back but caught up with him again a short while later on the M11.
By this stage, Mahon was driving the wrong way into the face on on-coming motorway traffic using the hard shoulder – a move that put the lives of countless other motorists at risk.
The pursuit ended after Mahon drove over a ‘stinger’ in Milton Road.
A spike strip (also known as traffic spikes, tire shredders, one-way traffic treadles, stingers, stop sticks and formally known as a tire deflation device) is a device used to impede or stop the movement of wheeled vehicles by puncturing their tires.
But even with four tyres which were deflating, he continued to push the transit van at double the speed limit before turning through a no-entry sign onto the guided busway.
Mahon was detained by officers at the scene, along with two passengers.
Mahon pleaded guilty to charges of criminal damage and dangerous driving and was jailed for three years on Tuesday at Cambridge Crown Court.
He was also handed a four-and-a-half year disqualification from driving.
PC Ben Patten said:
“Mahon broke just about every rule of the road possible as he recklessly attempted to escape from officers.
“His blatantly disregarded the safety of others and I’m thankful he will not be free to drive like that for a long time.”
To read more about some of the police pursuits which our brave police officers have been involved in, CLICK HERE
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The same Joseph Mahon named here? http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-33190640