Driver who 'cheated death' is jailed after rush hour pursuit in Wolverhampton
A motorist, who hurtled through Black Country streets at more than twice the speed limit just 14 months after cheating death in an horrific motorbike accident, has been jailed for a year.
Doctors feared James Linton would not survive the smash in May last year after which he was in a coma for a fortnight and suffered a fractured skull and shattered bones in his legs and feet, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.
As a result the 25-year-old now suffers epileptic seizures and memory lapses, revealed Mr Devon Small, defending.
Undaunted, Linton led police on a five-minute high-speed chase through rush hour traffic while at the wheel of a Nissan car on July 15.
He reached 76mph in a 30 limit after ignoring a request from a police patrol to stop in D'urberville Road, Parkfields at 4.30pm, explained Mrs Sati Ruck, prosecuting.
The defendant sped through two red traffic lights, twice drove along stretches of pavement and forced his way through slow moving vehicles in a desperate bid to escape, the court heard.
At one stage he raced passed at school at 63mph.
But Linton found Hilton Road, Parkfields, blocked by a lorry and swerved onto the pavement, narrowly avoiding pedestrians, in an effort to get round the obstruction – but ploughed into a lamp post, continued the prosecutor.
A police officer smashed the driver's side window, took the key from the ignition and arrested the defendant.
The defendant admitted dangerous driving, possession of cannabis and driving without insurance and was jailed by Recorder Julie Warburton who banned him from driving for two years.
