Banned dangerous driver from Sheffield is spared prison despite high speed police chase

Sheffield Crown Court heard on October 13 how motorist Jordan Brown, aged 32, of Pothouse Lane, Stocksbridge, Sheffield, fled from police and drove on the wrong side of the road, overtook vehicles, drove through junctions without giving way and exceeded the speed limit before he was caught.

Neil Coxon, prosecuting, said officers spotted Brown in an Audi on East Bank Road, Sheffield, and he was pursued by police for about four minutes before he got out of the car, which then rolled into a parked vehicle as he ran through a field. He was later found in his auntie’s home.

The judge – Recorder Anthony Dunne – confirmed Brown had driven on the wrong side of the road, had overtaken vehicles, driven through give-way junctions, negotiated a roundabout in the wrong direction and driven at 50mph in a 30mph zone during the incident in June, 2021. He told Brown: “If these offences had been committed in June this year there is no doubt you would have gone to prison. But the fact is your sentence in this case has been delayed for a considerable period which I have to accept - for the reasons given before me were not of your making.”

Brown, who has 16 previous convictions including driving offences, pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified, driving without insurance and dangerous driving. Rebecca Tanner, defending, said that during the last 16 months since the police chase Brown has improved his life, he is working, has not re-offended and there is a realistic prospect for his rehabilitation.

However, the court heard Brown’s previous convictions for driving matters include two offences of drink driving from 2017, two from 2020, and one from April 2021, when he was also convicted of driving while disqualified and failing to stop.

Recorder Dunne revealed that Brown had received a 16-week custodial sentence and a driving ban for the April 2021 matters and he had only just been released from prison when he committed his latest offences on June 2, 2021.

He added: “You must have been released from that sentence a matter of only weeks or days before June 2, 2021, when you were seen by police in an Audi A4 motor vehicle. On this occasion you had not consumed alcohol. You drove in an extremely dangerous manner when police signaled for you to stop.”

But Recorder Dunne acknowledged that Brown has since undergone positive changes in his life establishing employment and stable accommodation and the delay in bringing him to justice means any prison sentence can be suspended.

Recorder Dunne sentenced Brown to 10 months of custody suspended for 18 months with 150 hours of unpaid work and he disqualified the defendant from driving for seven years and six months. Brown was also ordered to pay £340 in legal costs following the court hearing.