Swindon man jailed after pursuit during morning rush hour in Royal Wootton Bassett

A man has been jailed for 10 months and disqualified from driving for four years after he led police on a pursuit during morning rush hour.

Darren Reed, 52, of Kingshill Road, Swindon, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, possession of an offensive weapon and a class A drug, driving otherwise in accordance with a licence and without insurance and was sentenced at Swindon Crown Court on February 8.

At approximately 8.40am on November 9, 2021, an officer was on duty in a marked police vehicle in Royal Wootton Bassett, when he spotted a BMW being driven on false number plates.

The officer indicated for the driver to stop the vehicle on the A3102, but the vehicle made off at speed, contravening multiple road signs, driving the wrong way around a roundabout.

The driver continued driving at excess speed and in a dangerous manner around the town, causing other road users to take evasive action on a number of occasions to avoid a collision. He was eventually lost to sight and the vehicle was dumped in Southbank Glen where it was located displaying a different number plate.

A police dog handler attended the scene and the dog located the sunglasses the driver had been wearing and the ignition key near to the vehicle.

Reed was arrested in Longleaze and taken to custody.

A/Insp Will Ayres said: “Dash cam footage shows just how little regard Reed had for other road users. The incident happened during morning rush hour – as you can see the roads were busy with people making their way to work or taking children to school or nursery. However, this didn’t stop Reed from driving in an incredibly dangerous manner around the town before abandoning the vehicle and attempting to make off and evade police.

“Thankfully, he has now been given a lengthy disqualification from the roads, and a prison sentence. Hopefully this time is spent reflecting on his actions and just how incredibly lucky it was that nobody was injured, or worse killed, as a result of his mindless driving that day.”

View the dash cam here.