A mother who led police on a terrifying high-speed chase through the streets of Manchester while under the influence of cocaine has been jailed for 16 months. Emma Ramsden, 39, was captured on police dash-cam driving a stolen car on the wrong side of the road, mounting pavements, and narrowly avoiding collisions in the Didsbury, Withington, and Burnage areas.
The 42-second footage shows Ramsden overtaking a line of stationary traffic and jumping a red light at a crossroads, nearly causing a serious crash. The chase, which lasted ten minutes, ended when Ramsden lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a tree after police deployed a stinger device.
Manchester Crown Court heard that Ramsden had purchased the Nissan Qashqai, stolen five days earlier during a burglary, intending to sleep in it. She was spotted by a patrol officer attempting a dangerous overtaking manoeuvre while high on cocaine, prompting the pursuit.
Ramsden, from Bolton, admitted charges of dangerous driving, driving while unfit through drugs, driving without insurance, handling stolen goods, and driving without a licence. She was also banned from driving for four years and eight months following the incident on October 5.
The court was told that Ramsden has a long history of drug addiction and previous convictions for driving offences, theft, and dishonesty. Her defence counsel, Rhia Abukhalil, stated that Ramsden had not used drugs since being taken into custody a month ago, and had previously abstained for five years while in a good relationship with contact with her children.
Sentencing, Judge Suzanne Goddard QC remarked: 'This is a very sad example of how low becoming addicted to drugs can leave you.'
