Dangerous driver told cops after high speed chase in South Yorkshire: “I’ve seen worse driving”

Officers saw that the VW Golf Arron Oakley was driving in Goldthorpe at 9.30pm on December 10, last year, was registered to an address in Hereford.

But when they signalled for him to stop he accelerated to 55mph in a 40mph zone, and “began snaking across the road to avoid police as other police units joined the pursuit.”

In the passenger seat his frightened girlfriend, who he was banned from contacting as a bail condition, told him to stop and even rang the police herself, prosecutor Stephen Littlewood said.

He travelled at speed on “narrow B roads, using both sides of the road to navigate tight and winding bends,” at speeds of 50mph - 70mph.

He ran a red light, drove the wrong way down a one-way street, and reached speeds of 60mph in a built-up area where the limit is 40mph.

At one point Oakley overtook a car, forcing two oncoming vehicles to take evasive action. Later, he travelled hundreds of yards on the wrong side of the road.

The 30 minute pursuit was finally ended when he was boxed in by three police vehicles.

In police interview he conceded his driving was bad, but added, "I have seen worse."

The court heard he has previous convictions for driving while disqualified in 2016, 2017 and 2018, and in June 2019 he was jailed for eight months for dangerous driving.

Francis Edusei, mitigating, said Oakley bought the car with a view to selling it on: "On this occasion he stupidly decided to drive it and on seeing the police, he panicked."

He asked for 30 per cent credit for the early guilty plea.

Oakley, 27, of Cliffe Road, Brampton, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving without insurance and while disqualified, and failing to stop

Recorder Felicity Davies told him: "You have the most dreadful record in respect of driving offences. You are a complete menace on the road."

She sentenced him to 20 months in prison. He was banned from driving for 46 months and must take the extended re-test.

Read the latest cases from Sheffield Crown Court here.

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