A disqualified driver who rammed a police car during a chase in Newport has been jailed. Brian Butler, 58, was told to stop his black Nissan Juke but instead sped off, reaching 75mph in a 20mph zone on Chepstow Road in the early hours of the morning.
Incident details
At around 2am on Wednesday, July 1, Butler was boxed in by a Gwent Police car as he entered a cul-de-sac on Clement Attlee Drive. In an attempt to evade arrest, he rammed into the car and drove off. The damage left the police vehicle unroadworthy and was later valued at £9,274 in repairs.
The Nissan was later abandoned near Fenner Brockway Close, and Butler was discovered by Police Dog Rizzo hiding face down in a garden.
Court proceedings
Butler, of Radnor Road in Newport, appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday, August 6, after previously pleading guilty to driving while disqualified, dangerous driving, driving without insurance, and criminal damage. At court, he tearfully admitted to the judge that he had "been an idiot" and expressed concern that if sent to prison, his mother, who has stage four cancer, would die while he was imprisoned.
PC Michael Sharman, from Gwent Police, said: "The footage we gathered was clear and overwhelming and proved the defendant had been driving in a dangerous manner; he is very fortunate that no-one was injured. Butler also tried his best to hide from our officers in a garden but he could not evade PD Rizzo meaning we could bring this suspect to justice."
"Butler had little option but to plead guilty to the charges he faced in court and I hope that he now has time to reflect on his actions. Butler should not have been behind the wheel and his poor decision-making on our roads could have led to devastating consequences."
Sentence
Butler received a sentence of 16 months imprisonment and was disqualified from driving for three years and two months. He will be required to take an extended test when reapplying for his licence.
