UK man jailed for driving 180mph - almost outran police helicopter
49 replies, posted
[img]http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/62435000/jpg/_62435435_62435434.jpg[/img]
[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19347144[/url]
[quote=BBC News][B]A man caught doing 180mph in a police chase on the M6 in the West Midlands has been jailed for nine years.[/B]
Ben Westwood, of Woden Road, Wednesfield, was found guilty of dangerous driving and conspiracy to burgle and steal earlier this month.
Wolverhampton Crown Court heard how during the 65-mile chase in January Westwood, 33, almost outpaced the police helicopter, in a stolen car.
Westwood is thought to be the fastest driver to be caught in the UK.
He was also banned from driving for four years.
The court heard how the modified Audi RS5, worth £85,000, was stolen from Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire, in August 2011.
Police said the car was then linked to 16 raids across Staffordshire, Shropshire and the West Midlands, including incidents at a bowling alley and a jewellers.
The raids took place between August 2011 and January 2012, during the course of which the car, originally white, was sprayed silver and then black.
Four other men were also sentenced for their part in the thefts:
• Ramesh Sharma, 38, from Barrington Close, Oxley, Wolverhampton, was jailed for three years for conspiracy to steal
• Gregory Simpson, 26, from Wordsworth Road, Wolverhampton, was jailed for four years for conspiracy to steal
• Luke Watkins, 34, from Whestone Road, Bushbury, Wolverhampton, was jailed for three years for conspiracy to steal plus nine months for dangerous driving
• Stephen Green, 41, from Castlebridge Road, Wednesfield, was jailed for four-and-a half years for conspiracy to steal
The chase, in the early hours of 13 January, took place after a raid on the Murco petrol station in Warstones Road, Wolverhampton.
Police arrested Sharma, Green and Watkins, who were in a separate van, but Westwood and Simpson headed towards the M6, chased by a police car.
[B]'Most appalling'[/B]
He joined the motorway, where he headed north up to junction 13 at Stafford before turning around and then heading southbound again.
Footage from a police helicopter showed how Westwood tried to avoid a sting trap set down by police on the sliproad at junction 12.
He could then be seen doing a U-turn, driving the car the wrong way up the sliproad before joining the main carriageway again.
Westwood abandoned the car at a block of flats in Pickering Road, Wednesfield, where police dogs tracked him and Simpson into some flats and arrested them.
On sentencing Westwood, Recorder Nigel Baker said he had an "appalling record for a man of 33".
He added: "You are no stranger to burglaries of this type."
The judge added: "This was an atrocious piece of dangerous driving. You drove through the suburban streets of Wolverhampton at speeds [with] which the police car could not keep up.
"You were driving on the wrong side of the road. There was a moment in that pursuit when the helicopter thought that your intention was to out-run the helicopter.
"It was the most appalling piece of driving."
Supt Richard Baker said Westwood had shown "a blatant disregard for other road users".
He added: "Video footage from the helicopter estimates speeds of up to 180mph on the M6 as he attempted to evade capture."[/quote]
Jailed for 9 years, banned from driving for 4?
Not going to be very effective in prison.
Too bad he didn't use a pursuit breaker.
Wow, you need quite a good car to outrun a police helicopter then.
Should be banned for way more than 4 years..
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzaBOkXOaf4[/media]
Thread music
[QUOTE=Forumaster;37374175]Jailed for 9 years, banned from driving for 4?
Not going to be very effective in prison.[/QUOTE]
Driving bans don't have parole, prisons do.
[editline]23rd August 2012[/editline]
He'll probably be out in 4-5 for good behavior.
[QUOTE=Forumaster;37374175]Jailed for 9 years, banned from driving for 4?
Not going to be very effective in prison.[/QUOTE]
they should swap those around
[QUOTE=Forumaster;37374175]Jailed for 9 years, banned from driving for 4?
Not going to be very effective in prison.[/QUOTE]
That's nothing, I remember an incident where a 14 year old stole a van.. he was banned for 2 years
[QUOTE=Forumaster;37374175]Jailed for 9 years, banned from driving for 4?
Not going to be very effective in prison.[/QUOTE]
he wasn't put in prison solely on bad driving for 9 years
Should've driven into a garage for a paint job.
Should have just let him go just for being such a crazyass.
Drive faster next time, maybe you will beat that chopper.
Should've had this playing at full blast the whole time:
[MEDIA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbygG7fj_n4[/MEDIA]
This music should mean a lot to anyone who's ever, oh I dunno, been in a high speed pursuit with over 30 Federal police cars and 2 helicopters
Not a bad way to go out to be fair, he was gonna go to jail anyway, so he decided he'd try to run away, seems exciting at the least
the Audi RS5 sure packs a punch
[quote]Westwood is thought to be the fastest driver to be caught in the UK.[/quote]
Which means there are some who got away.
He should have applied his skills to the race track, then he'd get a medal instead of a sentence.
Damn, he's got balls..
[QUOTE=Forumaster;37374175]Jailed for 9 years, banned from driving for 4?
Not going to be very effective in prison.[/QUOTE]
Maybe the ban starts upon release?
[QUOTE=jaykray;37375109]Which means there are some who got away.[/QUOTE]
Before they used helicopters there was a string of robberies where they used a Lotus Carlton which has a top speed of 176mph, they kept getting away because the police couldn't keep up
[img]http://www.autogush.com/images/lotus-carlton-04.jpg[/img]
[QUOTE=mac338;37375161]He should have applied his skills to the race track, then he'd get a medal instead of a sentence.[/QUOTE]
He was hurtling down a nearly straight road with little traffic, anyone can press their foot on the accelerator. I doubt he'd have skill on a more techincal track.
You can't escape from a chopper, tough guy.
[QUOTE=jaykray;37375109]Which means there are some who got away.[/QUOTE]
there was the top secret supra that managed 200 on british roads or something
I wonder what he burgled?
here we go
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-QKOr_nP_Q[/media]
Should be jailed for 4 years and banned for 9 years
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