Driver crashed into ditch in police pursuit

Five people including two children were injured when a driver failed to stop for police.
Thieves have been targeting cars on a Rotherham streetThieves have been targeting cars on a Rotherham street
Thieves have been targeting cars on a Rotherham street

Jaymie Woods was taking family members to visit a relative in hospital when he was pursed by police.

Woods, 20, of Heathway Avenue, Layton, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to driving dangerously without insurance or a licence.

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Prosecutor, Malcolm Isherwood, said police saw Woods speeding in a Ford Focus on Liverpool Road North, Burscough, near Ormskirk on January 24 at 9.15pm.

Police put on their vehicle’s lights and sirens but Woods would not stop. He accelerated and on a bend crashed into a ditch.

Woods suffered whiplash injuries as did a woman passenger and a male passenger aggravated a previous shoulder complaint. Two children, aged six and seven, were also injured with one suffering whiplash and a cut forehead and the other child, grazing and bruising.

Steven Townley, defending, said the family received information their grandfather was very ill. Woods had been previously been disqualified from driving and his ban had ended, but he had not reapplied for his licence.

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Mr Townley said: “When the police officer came up behind him he panicked. It was momentary poor driving.”

Woods was sentenced to 16 weeks’ prison suspended for 12 weeks, with up to 30 days’ rehabilitation to be supervised by the Probation Service, ordered to do 120 hours’ unpaid work for the community, banned from driving for two years and told to pay £85 costs with £80 victims’ surcharge by magistrates.