A jealous man led the police on a dangerous car chase after taking a knife stating he was going to kill his wife’s male friend, a court heard.
29-year-old Daniel Selwood was arrested at the end of a pursuit yesterday and remanded in custody to appear before Swindon Magistrates’ Court this morning. He pleaded guilty to criminal damage, possession of a knife in a public place and dangerous driving.
Crown prosecutor Keith Ballinger said the defendant, of Toothill, had argued with his wife about their relationship and the amount of time she spends with a male friend, accusing her of being unfaithful.
Mrs Selwood said they have been married for nine years, but described the relationship as “troubled”. She accepted she had confided in a friend about her issues.
During the argument on Sunday (16 May), Selwood punched a ceiling light bar in the kitchen before repeatedly punching the wall – causing a large hole.
He then grabbed a kitchen knife and ran out the house shouting “I’m going to f**king kill him”. Mrs Selwood believed the comment was about her friend and called 999 reporting he had left in his car.
Officers responding to the incident located his Citroen C3 travelling along Wharf Road, near Wroughton. It pulled into a lay-by where officers stopped alongside it, but Selwood U-turned the car and sped away back towards Junction 16 of the M4.
The court heard he was travelling at 80mph in a 60mph (national speed limit) zone, overtaking other vehicles in dangerous locations. On Junction 16 intersection, he raced through a red traffic light before having to swerve sharply and break harshly – narrowly avoiding a collision with another vehicle.
He exits the junction onto the M4 westbound where he’s said to have travelled at the speed limit and driven safely for around two miles. He eventually stopped on the hard shoulder where he was arrested.
En-route to custody, he told officers he’d discarded the knife out the window on his journey.
He was convicted of assaulting his wife in 2020. He threw her against a door, causing her injuries.
Defence solicitor Richard Williams said he has warned his client the case will likely proceed to the crown court for sentencing.
He asked for a pre-sentence report (PSR) to assess his emotional state and his response to stresses in his life, accepting Selwood posed a substantial risk to other road users and pedestrians.
Mr Williams told the court he wants to return home to his wife and their four children, but district judge Joanna Dickens ruled he would need to live elsewhere whilst proceedings were ongoing.
Adjourning the case until 18 June for a PSR, she imposed an interim driving ban on the defendant.
Judge Dickens released Selwood on bail with conditions: not to contact his wife (other than through a third party regarding child contact), not to attend Warneford Close and not to conduct his wife’s male friend. She also imposed a condition of residence, instructing him to live and sleep at his parents’ address in South Oxfordshire.
