A MOTORING menace who drove and then ran away from police in an Eden Valley village has been jailed.
An officer decided to stop an oncoming Vauxhall Vectra driven by Paul Robert Nicholson, 28, who was travelling towards Bolton, near Appleby, from the A66 on the morning of May 21.
But as the officer turned to follow, he saw Nicholson move into the opposite carriageway in a 30mph zone before overtaking another car and a bus on a left hand bend.
Nicholson continued despite the police vehicle’s blue lights and siren being activated, and drove away from the officer after stopping briefly. He then ran off across fields but, prosecutor Mark Stephenson told Carlisle Crown Court: “There was a foot chase and Mr Nicholson was arrested.”
It emerged Nicholson held only a provisional licence and was subject to both a driving ban and a suspended prison sentence at the time of his latest offending which was said to have occurred after he “panicked”. A criminal record showing 102 previous offences included a host of motoring misdemeanours.
After being detained, highways maintenance operative Nicholson, of Hall Grange, Bolton, told police: “I was on a 12-hour shift. My missus was badly. I took the kids to school and I got seen.”
He admitted dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, failing to stop for a PC, no insurance and breaching the suspended jail term.
Nicholson was jailed for eight months today (THURS) by Judge Brian Cummings QC; must serve a two-year driving ban when released; and pass an extended test.
Judge Cummings told him: “In terms of actual driving this was undoubtedly dangerous. It wasn’t on the circumstances outlined to me the worst example that I encounter. But it is, I’m afraid, undoubtedly aggravated by your record.”
