It was only ‘good fortune’ that nobody was killed or seriously injured, a court heard
A panicking banned driver hurtled through streets at high speed in the early hours of the morning during a hair-raising police chase before suddenly abandoning his car, trying to run off and being caught by a police dog. Darren Stovin had a string of convictions for driving offences and it was only by pure good fortune that nobody was killed or seriously injured during the lengthy police pursuit, Hull Crown Court heard.
Stovin, 42, of Swanland Grove, off The Quadrant, Hull, admitted dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, driving while disqualified and having no insurance on May 9. He changed his plea to guilty for the dangerous driving charge on the day of a scheduled trial.
Oliver Norman, prosecuting, said that Stovin was driving a Vauxhall Astra when police checks revealed that he was not insured. The car was followed and it went through two sets of red traffic lights.
Stovin made a quick turn into Saxon Way, Hessle, and went through red traffic lights into Priory Way in the direction of Hessle Road, west Hull. He turned towards the A63 eastbound dual carriageway and went through red traffic lights at 1.50am.
There were no lights on the car as he headed onto the A63 slipway and reached 85mph in a 50mph roadworks area. Stovin braked suddenly unnecessarily as he entered Hessle Road and he overtook another vehicle while going into a sharp right-hand bend.
The police activated their blue flashing lights and sirens but Stovin increased his speed as he entered Hawthorn Avenue and over a railway line and speed bumps. His speed was more than 60mph in 20mph and 30mph limits.
Damage was caused to the car and there was white smoke coming from it. He continued to drive dangerously on residential streets as he headed into Kirklands Road and Lomond Road, where he mounted the pavement.
Stovin ran out of the car but he was caught by police dog Roxy, who bit him on the bottom. He was suspected of being over the limit for alcohol or drugs and he smelled of drink. He refused to give a breath test.
Stovin had convictions for 55 previous offences, including dangerous driving in 2000 and 2004, driving while disqualified in 2002, 2007, 2008 and in 2009, when he was jailed for four months, taking a vehicle without consent in 2004 and drink-driving in 2007 and 2008. He also had convictions for violence and theft-related offences.
Michael Masson, mitigating, said that Stovin claimed that he realised only fairly late on that he was being followed by the police and, after that, he panicked. “It doesn’t excuse his driving up to that point,” said Mr Masson.
“There was the potential for persons to be hurt. He panicked and that’s why he ran. He should have put his hands up. He should not have been driving dangerously in the first place.
“He should have pulled over. He was detained by police dog Roxy and he suffered injuries during the course of that detention. He offers his sincere remorse for having found himself in this position again.
“It is now some time since he was last before the courts for driving matters.”
Father-of-two Stovin was a medium risk of reoffending and he had recently been working with a plasterer.
Judge John Thackray KC told Stovin: “The police saw you driving dangerously. You should not even have been behind the wheel. You were disqualified and you were under the influence and you had no insurance.
“It’s only good fortune that serious injury or death was not caused to passengers, members of the public and the police who were chasing you. It was a prolonged piece of driving through residential areas as part of a police chase.
“You have got a bad record of previous convictions. I am not satisfied that your risk can be managed in the community or that you can be rehabilitated in the community.
“Ultimately, only appropriate punishment can be achieved by way of an immediate custodial sentence.” Stovin, who had been on bail, was jailed for 10 months.
He was banned from driving for three years and five months and he must pass an extended retest before he can drive legally again.