A driver who rammed a police car and drove the wrong way down a dual carriageway has been jailed for three years. Rhys Morris, 30, from Bradley Stoke, Bristol, pleaded guilty to a string of offences including two counts of dangerous driving, failing to provide specimens, driving without a licence or insurance, criminal damage, and possession of cannabis.
Starbucks Drive-Thru Pursuit
The court heard that just after midnight on April 19 this year, police officers in an unmarked patrol car near a Starbucks on Swansea's Fabian Way noticed a Vauxhall Corsa making a 'strange noise'. A check revealed the car was insured to a woman but driven by a man. When officers activated their blue lights, a woman quickly exited the passenger side and the Corsa sped off with the passenger door still open.
The Corsa drove through the Starbucks drive-thru and accelerated away, pursued by police. It then stopped suddenly and reversed into the police car, causing damage. The Corsa drove through the car park, narrowly missing another vehicle, and joined the Fabian Way dual carriageway on the wrong side, heading towards oncoming traffic.
An area search located the abandoned Corsa about 10 minutes later in a car park in Swansea's SA1 development. Morris was arrested nearby with slurred speech and later refused to provide a urine sample for analysis.
Previous Police Chases
This was the second dangerous driving incident in just over a month. On March 10, Morris led police on a high-speed chase around residential streets near Bristol's Cribbs Causeway retail park, reaching 65mph in 30mph zones, going through multiple red lights, and driving on the wrong side of the road – all after turning off his headlights to evade officers. When stopped, he refused to comply and actively resisted arrest. He held only a provisional licence and was released on bail.
On April 1, police responded to reports of suspicious activity involving a white van behind the Vue cinema at Cribbs Causeway. The van drove off, weaving between lanes to escape. When stopped, Morris gave a false name but admitted to having a 'bag of weed' in the vehicle. A roadside drug swipe tested positive for cannabis, but he refused to provide a blood sample. He was again released on bail, only to commit the Swansea offences just over a week later.
Sentencing and Judge's Remarks
Judge Recorder Mark Powell KC told Morris he had engaged in an 'appalling' catalogue of driving and was lucky not to be facing a charge of causing death by dangerous driving. The judge noted that Morris had no previous convictions.
Defence advocate Andrew Evans said that when asked why he had committed the offences, Morris 'was at a loss to explain it' other than knowing he had cannabis in his system or vehicle and thought he could drive away from police. Evans said Morris understood he had put lives at risk and had lost his employment as a result.
With one-third discounts for his guilty pleas, Morris was sentenced to three years in prison. He will serve up to half in custody before being released on licence. He was also banned from driving for six years and must pass an extended test before obtaining a full licence.
