Booze-fuelled dangerous driver led police on chase through Sheffield streets

Police caught a booze-fuelled dangerous driver who topped 90mph during a high-speed chase.
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Sheffield Magistrates’ Court heard on Thursday, December 5, how Christopher Ali, aged 37, of Well Green Road, Stannington, was spotted driving erratically by officers but when they tried to stop him he sped away and sparked a chase.

Prosecuting solicitor Kirsty Pearson said: “At approximately 4.18am, on November 18, officers on a uniformed patrol in a marked vehicle observed a BMW 1 Series driving up Halifax Road, Sheffield, heading out of the city and being driven erratically and weaving in the lane and adjusting speed constantly.”

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Police carried out checks and established the vehicle’s registered driver was from Stannington and as the BMW went along Deerlands Avenue and accelerated police put on their blue lights but Ali failed to stop, according to Ms Pearson.

Deerlands Avenue.Deerlands Avenue.
Deerlands Avenue.

Ms Pearson said the BMW drove along Deerlands Avenue in Parson Cross and went to Chaucer Road off a roundabout reaching 70mph in a 30mph zone where he almost lost control on a bend before accelerating to 91mph in a 40mph zone.

Ali drove towards Ecclesfield, according to Ms Pearson, and to Yew Lane and Stocks Hill near St Mary’s Church where he lost control and fled the vehicle.

Ms Pearson said police chased Ali on foot before he fell on a grassed area and was arrested.

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The court heard Ali registered 57 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath when the legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

Ali told police he had seen the police’s blue lights and had panicked.

The defendant pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, exceeding the alcohol drink-drive limit and to failing to stop for police.

Defence solicitor Lucy Hogarth said there was no mention of any other cars or pedestrians involved who might have been put at risk and no harm had been caused to anyone.

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Magistrates sentenced Ali to six months of custody suspended for two years with a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and 200 hours of unpaid work.

Ali was banned from driving for 15 months and was also ordered to pay £85 costs and a £122 victim surcharge.