Walsall man gets one-year driving ban after police chase
A man has been banned from driving for a year following a police pursuit in Brownhills.
Thomas Ball, 25, of Buxton Road, Walsall, was sentenced at Stafford Crown Court on Thursday having initially pleaded not guilty before changing his plea to guilty for driving a motor vehicle dangerously and being concerned in the supply of cocaine and heroin.
Ball has been banned from driving for a year, given a two-year prison sentence suspended for two-years, ordered to attend 25 days of rehabilitation, carry out 300 hours of unpaid work and provide drug samples for up to six months as part of his rehabilitation.
The court heard how officers attempted to stop Ball who was driving a silver Mercedes on March 14, 2020, on The Parade, Brownhills.
Ball failed to stop for them. Officers pursuing the Mercedes said the manner of driving fell far below the standard of a competent driver and described it as dangerous.
The pursuit was then called off.
A short time later, the same pursuing officers were informed by a member of a public that a silver Mercedes had been abandoned in a nearby field.
Officers were able to locate the driver of the Mercedes in Pelsall and Ball was arrested on suspicion of driving a motor vehicle dangerously.
A mobile phone was seized by officers.
Officers also conducted a search of an address where they found a quantity of drugs.
Detective Sergeant Jon Bradbury, of Staffordshire Police Disruption Team South, said: “We are pleased that Ball admitted the offences in court. His standard of driving was unacceptable and we are glad he has been banned from driving for a year.
"We will continue to proactively seek out and disrupt drugs activity on the streets of Staffordshire to ensure our communities remain safe places to live."
