Passenger stole taxi and drove 120 miles before police chase
A passenger stole a taxi in the Midlands and drove it to London before leading police on a high-speed chase around the streets of the capital, a court has heard.
Louis Anglin, of Willenhall, grabbed the driver from behind before taking off in the £13,500 car and driving it more than 120 miles.
Anglin, aged 20, of Littleton Road, was jailed for two years.
Wolverhampton Crown Court was told that he had been picked up by the taxi just after 6am on January 25 from the Grosvenor Casino in Walsall.
Mr Robert Edwards, prosecuting, told the court that the taxi driver had turned the car around when Anglin began acting suspiciously.
He said: "They were heading towards Willenhall when Anglin asked the driver if he could stop to pick up a friend.
"He also asked if there were any weapons in the car, so he decided to turn around and go back to the casino."
He said Anglin grabbed the driver who had got out of the car to run away and tried to take the car keys with him.
Mr Edwards said: "He couldn't grab the keys and and Anglin got into the drivers seat and drove the car away."
He was later spotted by an automatic number plate recognition camera in Tower Hamlets in London which alerted the Metropolitan Police, Mr Edwards said.
"The police had their blue lights and sirens on and he immediately stopped," he said.
"The vehicle then completed a u-turn and drove off. The vehicle was seen to undertake cars and drive at speeds of 60 miles per hour in built up areas."
Miss Sarah Allen, for Anglin, said: "He is a 20 years old, and still a young man who has managed to rack up quite a number of previous convictions.
"He has some difficulty with authority. The way he acts is impulsively and poorly.
"It is difficult for him to see a way forward. He will be moved from a youth offenders to an adult prison and that may be something that changes him."
Anglin admitted robbery, dangerous driving and driving with no insurance or license.
Judge Michael Challinor sentenced him to 18 months for the robbery and six months for the dangerous driving. He was given no separate penalty for the other two offences, but was banned from driving for two years.
Judge Challinor said: "You have an unexplained difficulty with authority figures. You are a dangerous young man but you have your whole life ahead of you.
"Stop losing your temper and being impulsive and begin to live a proper and industrious life which you are clearly capable of."
