Sheffield judge tells dangerous driver who sparked 45-minute police chase it was a 'miracle' nobody was killed

‘That you didn’t kill someone is a miracle,’ a Sheffield judge told a dangerous driver who sparked a 45-minute police chase in the early hours of the morning.
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“You took leave of your of your senses, I have no idea what you were thinking,” Judge Rachael Harrison said of defendant Luke Metcalfe’s ‘appalling’ driving, during a hearing held at Sheffield Crown Court on March 9.

The court heard how the chase got underway after police were called out at around 1.20am on February 20, 2021, to a recycling centre, where they found a Ford Fiesta parked up with Metcalfe inside.

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Richard Chiles, prosecuting, told the court how instead of speaking with police as requested, Metcalfe ‘made off’ in the Fiesta, resulting in a police pursuit that lasted around 45 minutes.

A number of police resources including tactical pursuit and containment officers and a helicopter were deployed to catch Luke Metcalfe, during the chase on February 20, 2021A number of police resources including tactical pursuit and containment officers and a helicopter were deployed to catch Luke Metcalfe, during the chase on February 20, 2021
A number of police resources including tactical pursuit and containment officers and a helicopter were deployed to catch Luke Metcalfe, during the chase on February 20, 2021

Summarising Metcalfe’s driving during the chase, which saw him reach speeds of up to 99mph, Judge Harrison said: “You managed to damage two police vehicles…you were pursued by numerous police officers, and a police helicopter, all indicating for you to stop driving. You drove on the wrong side of the road; you drove at excessive speeds and ran red lights.”

Mr Chiles told the court that Metcalfe, 24, drove around the Halfway; Renishaw; Eckington and Killamarsh areas on a ‘loop,’ during the chase.

In addition to a police helicopter, a number of other specialist resources were also deployed, including Tactical Pursuit and Containment (TPaC) officers who attempted to weave around, and get in front of, Metcalfe’s vehicle.

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“The defendant was able to get past by moving on to the wrong side of the road,” Mr Chiles said.

A strip of spikes were placed on the road, puncturing Metcalfe’s tyre, but he continued on anyway until it ‘disintegrated,’ at which point he attempted to escape on foot, Mr Chiles said.

Police handlers dispatched dogs to find him, which they did, biting him in the process and leading to his arrest.

Metcalfe, of High Street in New Whittington, Derbyshire, pleaded guilty to one count of dangerous at an earlier hearing.

The court was told that Metcalfe was not thought to have any involvement in the recycling centre burglary that police were initially called out to.

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Defending, Lucy Brown, said: “He got himself into a situation he didn’t know how to end.”

She told the court that prior to the chase taking place Metcalfe had got into an argument with his girlfriend, and described himself as being ‘distraught’ and ‘not thinking straight’.

After taking the pre-sentence report into account, Judge Harrison said she was going to give Metcalfe a ‘chance’ and sentenced him to an 18-month community order and 18-month driving disqualification.