Thief got car stuck between lorry and a coach as he tried to escape police on the M6

Louis Robertson had taken the car after stealing the key from a dental surgery he had visited, asking for emergency treatment for an aching tooth.

And at Warwick Crown Court he was jailed for 12 months after pleading guilty to aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving and driving while disqualified.

Robertson, aged 28, of Treherne Road, Coventry, was also banned from driving for three years from when he is released.

Prosecutor Ian Windridge said that on June 10 Robertson, accompanied by a friend, went to a dental surgery in Foleshill Road, Coventry, at about 11am complaining about a painful tooth.

Unfortunately, the dentist was not in a position to provide immediate treatment and escorted Robertson to the X-ray area before returning to his room.

Nearer to lunchtime, the dentist realised the keys to his Dacia Sandero were missing – and when he checked the car park he saw the car had gone, so called the police.

At 1.40pm, officers on patrol on the M6 were told the car had been spotted heading north along the M6 Toll.

They picked it up approaching junction 13 on the M6 near Stafford.

The Dacia, driven by Robertson with his friend in the passenger seat, went past the junction, doing about 78mph and weaving between lanes 2 and 3 and under-taking a Jaguar.

As it continued north along the motorway, the police became concerned that Robertson might try to leave at junction 15, which was not considered suitable, so they kept him on the motorway.

Ahead of them, near Keele Services, there had been an incident which meant that a tail-back of traffic was building up on all three lanes.

Determined to get away from the police, Robertson tried to drive between lines of slowing traffic in lanes one and two.

But when he came up to an HGV in lane one and a coach in lane two, the gap was too narrow for the Dacia to get through.

It ended up wedged between the two vehicles, with Robertson and his passenger helplessly trapped inside.

As Robertson was arrested and put in the back of the police car, he complained: "The dentist wouldn't take my tooth out, I saw his keys hanging from the door and I took them."

When he was formally interviewed the next day, he said he had a serious tooth-ache, and was intoxicated with prescription medication, alcohol and amphetamine at the time.

He added that he took the keys 'with the vague idea of heading to Blackpool.'

Mr Windridge said the dentist had only been working a half day, because it was his wife's birthday, and he had been planning to take her out to dinner to celebrate, but was unable to do so because of the theft of his car.

The dentist said it was his first car, having bought it two-and-a-half years ago, before qualifying as a dentist, and he would not normally drive it to work, but had been planning to pick up something for his wife on his way home.

Mr Windridge added that Robertson had two previous convictions for aggravated vehicle taking on his record.

Amanda O'Mara, defending, said: "It's quite clear from what has been said that he has, and has had for some time, a problem with alcohol, having started when he was 13.

"Despite his own attempts to address that, he has not found the right support for him. He is dependent on alcohol, and he needs a drink before he goes to work as a mechanic."

She added that he could remember going to the dentist's, but not taking the car or making the decision to go to Blackpool.

Jailing Robertson, Judge Abbas Mithani QC told him: "You behaved abusively towards the dentist when he was unable to assist you, you saw the keys to his car, and you took them and the car.

"As soon as you saw the police, you began driving in the most appalling manner. Members of the public were, and had every reason to be, panicked as the vehicle you were driving forced its way through the traffic.

"It could very well have resulted not just in serious injury, but a fatality being caused to one or more road-users."