Criminal who led police on 85mph chase loses appeal
A wanted criminal who led police on an 85mph chase, but claimed to be travelling safely as a trained racing driver, has lost an appeal over his jail term.
Jeremiah Ezekial Butler breached conditions of his early release from a seven-and-a-half-year jail term, imposed in 2007, for importing 3kg of cocaine when he got behind the wheel.
The 47-year-old had taken his girlfriend's car from Mansfield after a row and became aware officers were following him outside Walsall town centre in March last year.
He went through a red light and sped off reaching speeds of 85mph and driving on the wrong side of the road, veering dangerously from side to side.
Butler, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and was jailed for 16 months at Wolverhampton Crown Court in April.
At London's Criminal Appeal Court he appealed to Sir Brian Leveson, Mr Justice Edis and Sir Brian Keith over his jail term, claiming he was treated too harshly.
Lawyers for Butler argued he was not given enough credit for his guilty plea and time he had served after being recalled to jail.
But, refusing his appeal, Sir Leveson said: "The judge rightly described this as a quite deliberate case of appalling driving.
"We don't believe a real injustice has occurred and it follows that this appeal against sentence must be dismissed."
He added: "When apprehended, he said he didn't think his driving was dangerous and said he had been trained as a professional racing driver.
"He said his driving was nothing more that you might indulge in on a Sunday afternoon."
Wolverhampton Crown Court had been told that Butler was desperate to get away because he knew he would be returned to prison after breaking the terms of his early release from a seven-and-a-half year sentence for drug smuggling.
Mr Howard Searle, prosecuting, said that Butler careered through three sets of red traffic lights at 40mph during the five minute pursuit along Walsall residential streets at 5.30am on March 18 last year.
He then forced a policeman to put a 'stinger' across the Walsall town centre ring road to leap out of the way by steering straight at him in an attempt to avoid the spikes.
But he missed and the car was brought to a standstill as intended when its tyres were burst. The court heard that Butler said he was a trained racing driver when arrested for dangerous driving.
Police had wanted to stop the car because its details had been circulated to forces throughout the Midlands following a domestic incident in Mansfield.
