A man could face a spell behind bars after leading police on a 40-mile-long high-speed chase – which also left an officer injured.
Armed officers were responding to an incident when they came came across a MG HS in lane three of the M4 near Swindon at around 10.20pm on Tuesday (9 April).
Despite having their unmarked car’s lights illuminated and sirens blaring, driver Malcolm Hall failed to move out of the way for several miles.
Keith Ballinger, prosecuting, told Swindon Magistrates’ Court this morning (Thursday) that the defendant later moved across to lane one and slowed down.
The officers had decided to pull him over to speak to him about his driving, but instead of stopping, he sped up and moved back into lane three.
A pursuit was authorised close to Junction 16 and continued into Berkshire where Hall reached speeds of 120mph – including in a 40mph zone imposed for roadworks.
At Junction 12 for Theale, a police vehicle tried to stop him leaving the motorway by driving alongside and blocking the slip-road.
35-year-old Hall collided with the left side of the police vehicle, causing its airbags to be deployed and an officer to suffer injuries.
He proceeded to leave the motorway, where his tyres were stung by Thames Valley Police officers – before the MG was boxed in. He managed to flee on foot, but was swiftly detained with the help of Wiltshire Police dog Conan.
Hall pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and driving without a licence or insurance.
Mark Glendenning, defending, said his client’s “bad decision” not to stop for the police “escalated into a number of bad decisions”.
He said the defendant, of Bronwydd in Birchgrove, Swansea, had a female friend in the car, who had encouraged him not to stop – and he listened.
The case was sent to Swindon Crown Court. Hall will be sentenced on 24 May. He was released on unconditional bail until that date.
The defendant was last imprisoned in December for shop theft, but has dozens of convictions to his name – including the burglary of a woman with dementia in 2020.
