HIGH on cocaine, Morgan Hanford led police on a high speed chase through Newport, before damaging houses and fences whilst trying to drive along an alley that was too narrow for his car.
Police officers were at one stage forced to leap into gardens to avoid his reversing Ford Mondeo as the 24-year-old sought to escape after driving into a dead end off Capel Crescent, in Pill, last month.
After making repeated attempts to force the car down the alley, officers finally subdued Hanford by breaking his front side windows and using incapacitant spray on him.
Hanford, of Alexandra Road, Pill, Newport, was sentenced to a total of 16 months in prison by Judge Jeremy Jenkins, who told him: “You were involved in a police chase over several miles, during which you drove in a most dangerous way, putting any lawful road user in great jeopardy.”
“You had no business being behind the wheel of a car that evening. You are a danger when you are behind the wheel, and more so when you drive with illegal substances in your system.”
Hanford had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to charges of dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified, failing to stop when required by a police officer, driving without insurance, resisting a police officer, and failing to provide a specimen for analysis.
Newport Crown Court was shown several minutes of dashcam footage from a police car as its driver pursued Hanford after spotting him speeding along Chepstow Road into Newport, during the early hours of Saturday, May 27.
After a passenger got out further down Chepstow Road and ran off, Hanford sped away, “tyres squealing”, said prosecuting counsel Claire Pickthall.
Hanford then ran several red lights whilst far exceeding the speed limit along Chepstow Road, Wharf Road, George Street and Cardiff Road.
At times the police car - unmarked but with blue lights on - reached up to 90mph in pursuit.
Hanford then turned into Mendalgief Road and into the backstreets of Pill.
He drove on footpaths and through a park before the police officer stopped his pursuit, deeming it to be too dangerous in a built-up area.
But other officers spotted Hanford later and after driving towards them at speed, he turned into a dead end off Capel Crescent, damaging several vehicles, before trying to drive through an alley.
“It was too narrow. He continued to try to get through, smashing into fences and the side walls of houses,” said Ms Pickthall.
“He reversed and officers had to jump back and into gardens out of the way.”
After repeatedly trying to force the car into the gap, and with residents pleading with the police to stop him, officers intervened.
Hanford, who continued to struggle, gave a false name and later tested positive for cocaine.
Judge Jenkins was told that Hanford - previously disqualified from driving twice, including an ongoing ban - accepted his driving was dangerous and that a jail term was inevitable.
He was ashamed of his behaviour and of the distress it had caused his family, having resorted to using drugs to help him get through a difficult period.
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