Driver looked police officer in the eye then made a terrible decision
A motorist has been jailed after leading police on a high-speed chase and driving at more than twice the speed limit.
Seddon had been banned from driving just six months before he was seen behind the wheel of a grey Ford Focus in the early hours of July 11 in 2021. He was pulled over by police in Wigan but then drove off at speeds of up to 75mph in a residential area, the MEN reports.
The 28-year-old then rammed their patrol car at the end of the pursuit which last more than 10 minutes and spanned an area of more than four miles.
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Officers turned on their sirens and started pursuing Seddon, who was heading in the direction of Ashton-in-Makerfield. The court heard his speed at times reached 75mph in a 30mph zone as he passed through Ashton town centre and towards the border with Merseyside.
He also drove through red lights, a no entry sign, on the wrong side of the road, and overtook other vehicles Laura Broome, prosecuting said. Towards the end of the pursuit, he stopped and reversed in a bid to try and ram the cop car. The officer was able to reverse as well and avoid the collision.
However a short time afterwards he pulled over again, on Evans Close in Haydock, St Helens, and this time reversed into the police car, damaging its wing mirror, which meant it wasn't able to continue the pursuit as he again drove off.
The car was later found abandoned on Rampit Close, Haydock, and Seddon was located by officers who had been given his description. The officers who carried out the pursuit then picked him out in an identification parade.
Seddon, previously said to be of Wigan, but whose address was given at court as Elm Court, Blackburn in Bathgate, West Lothian in Scotland, initially denied being the driver but changed his plea to guilty at Bolton Crown Court on Thursday (September 5) where he admitted dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified and driving without insurance.
He was also found with cocaine on him for which he was previously sentenced, and also failed to turn up to court the day his trial was planned, for which he was given 14 days in custody. He has been on remand since March this year.
Martyn Walsh, defending said Seddon's "best mitigation is his guilty plea."
He added: "There is little mitigating features, he's aware of what's going to happen" he said. "He wants to put this case behind him and upon his release he can move forward."
Judge Abigail Hudson jailed him for 16 months. He will also be banned from driving for three years following his release and must pass an extended re-test. She told him: "You fled. The result was a very high speed chase, contravening road safety rules in a residential area.
"This was an extraordinarily long chase where you were often on the wrong side of the road. At any time you could have caused catastrophic injury. You attempted to ram the police car and eventually successfully did so causing damage. This is one of the worst instances of dangerous driving I have seen."