Jail for man who tried to ram police car with stolen trailer during Sheffield chase

A Sheffield man who tried to 'ram' a police car with a stolen trailer in a bid to make his escape has been put behind bars for two years.

In the early hours of May 31 this year, neighbours of the complainant saw Darren Mansell and his co-accused looking at the trailer parked in the driveway of his Chapeltown property, Sheffield Crown Court heard.

Neil Coxon, prosecuting, explained how at around 2.30am that morning, the pair returned, wheeled the trailer out of the driveway and attached it to a Ford Mondeo car driven by Mansell.

The court was told how police were informed of the theft, and details of the trailer and Ford Mondeo vehicles were given to officers.

Patrolling officers located Mansell, of Longley Hall Road, Longley, still driving the Ford Mondeo with the trailer attached to it, shortly after 2.55am.

But the 36-year-old refused to pull over - sparking a police chase.

Mr Coxon said: "The defendant drives around 50mph in a 30mph area. He goes the wrong way around a keep-left bollard and then goes the wrong way around a roundabout.

"He comes to a junction and tries to ram the police vehicle with the trailer to get away."

After hitting the police car, Mansell continued driving and came to a dead end, and in his bid to continue his getaway he collided with a nearby wall.

He was then arrested at the scene, and refused to provide a breath specimen. He also refused to provide one when he was later taken to the police station.

The court was told that following the police chase the trailer was damaged beyond economical repair, with the cost of a replacement trailer estimated to be around £5,000.

Mr Coxon told the court that Mansell, who has 20 convictions from 62 offences, had previously been convicted of dangerous driving and failure to provide a specimen on two separate occasions in 2009 and 2015.

Defending, Francis Edusei, described Mansell's record as 'appalling' but said he had come to a 'fork in the road' whereby he could to continue offending in a similar way or begin to turn his life around.

Judge Michael Slater sentenced him to two years in prison, and disqualified him from driving for three years, after which time he will need to take an extended driving test should he wish to hold a full license again.