Man ploughed car into house after leading police on M6 high-speed chase

A man who led police on a high-speed chase tried to hide in a garden after he ploughed his car into a house.

Jack Watson, 35, led police on a high-speed chase along the M6 before he attempted to flee through a number of villages in Greater Manchester and Merseyside. Cheshire Constabulary Roads and Crime officers responded to reports that a silver Seat Ateca had been swerving on the M6 on Friday, March 22 2022.

Officers located the car, driven by Watson, near J22 travelling at excess speeds through a 50mph roadworks area. Two patrol cars tried to stop the car between J25 and 26 but he failed to cooperate and continued to flee, with officers forced to engage in a pursuit. He exited the motorway at the last moment at J27, pulling in front of a lorry and headed towards Shevington, near Wigan.

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Officers continued in their pursuit of Watson, who drove in excess of the speed limit and in a dangerous manner through the villages of Shevington, Gathurst, Orrell, Longshaw and Billinge in Merseyside. The pursuit concluded in Billinge when Watson collided with residential property and a parked car. Such was the impact that he destroyed both vehicles and caused thousands of pounds worth of structural damage to the house.

The pursuit ended in Billinge when Watson crashed into a house and parked car. Watson crashed with such impact that he destroyed both cars and caused thousands of pounds of structural damage to the house. Despite being injured, Watson fled on foot - and was later found hiding in the rear garden of the house.

Following his arrest officers discovered that Watson had obtained the car from a rental company before he had been insured and given permission to drive the vehicle, they also found that he was subject to a current disqualification from driving for similar offences. Watson refused to answer any questions, aside from the fact that he was disqualified from driving.

He was subsequently charged with dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance. Watson, of Hartfield Avenue, Brighton, appeared at Chester Crown Court on Friday, April 19 where he was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Police Constable Richardson, of Cheshire Constabulary's Roads and Crime Unit, said: "Jack Watson's decisions that day not only endangered the lives of other road users and the officers pursuing him, but he also risked seriously harming members of the public sitting inside what is meant to be the safety of their own home.

"When Watson's vehicle eventually came to a stop, which was a result of his reckless driving and thinking he could outrun police, he caused considerable damage to a vehicle he did not have permission to drive or own, a parked vehicle and the exterior of someone's home. All of this would have been avoided if Watson had not got behind the wheel that day.

"As a force, we do all we can to educate and encourage all motorists to drive safely on Cheshire's roads and this incident sends a message that we will not hesitate to act against those individuals set on flouting the rules of the road and who think the law does not apply to them. It is also my hope that Watson finally learns from this and never places himself in this position again."

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