Police forced to hit 100mph on Tinsley Viaduct to catch racing driver who had skipped two red lights

Sheffield Crown Court heard on January 5 how Negus Roberts, aged 37, of Andover Street, Burngreave, Sheffield, was followed by a police vehicle after he was seen racing in a WW Golf against another motorist in an Audi S3 on Tinsley Viaduct.

Amy Earnshaw, prosecuting, said police spotted the two cars driving at speed and the police accelerated to 100mph to close the gap on the defendant’s vehicle.

Ms Earnshaw added the VW Golf went through red traffic lights as it reached a roundabout and subsequently went through another set of red traffic lights leading to Shepcote Lane while driving at high speed.

Former security guard Roberts told police after he stopped that he had been stupid and reckless and he had not been thinking.

The defendant, who has previous convictions, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving after the incident on April 3, 2021.

Richard Adams, defending, said: “He described the Audi S3 was tailgating him at the start of the dual carriageway on the viaduct and unfortunately he thoughtlessly and recklessly sped-up.”

Mr Adams added the incident had taken place in a non-residential area and it had not been planned or arranged and he had not tried to evade the police.

He said Roberts had to give up his job as a security guard after the incident because he was made subject to an interim driving disqualification prior to sentencing.

Recorder Kate Batty told Roberts: “At 37-years-old and having been out of trouble for some 13 years you found yourself in a bizarre incident which you perhaps cannot explain yourself.”

She added: “It is a horrible example of dangerous driving in that racing always is because it can go so wrong so quickly.”

But Recorder Batty said the offence was an isolated incident while Roberts has been leading an otherwise normal and decent lifestyle and she accepted that it had been short-lived and no injuries had been caused.

Recorder Batty sentenced Roberts to eight months of custody suspended for 18 months with 150 hours of unpaid work. Roberts was also disqualified from driving for 12 months.