A banned driver who rammed a police car and left two officers injured during a high speed New Year’s Day pursuit near Carlisle has been handed a 12-month jail term.
Steven Paul Kidd, 22, was seen behind the wheel of his partner’s Vauxhall Astra in Dalston, near the city, at around 3pm on January 1 this year by a PC who knew he was disqualified.
At the time, the road was damp with some icy patches and there were pedestrians around.
Yet despite that – and his partner being in the passenger seat – Kidd made off. He accelerated to 50mph in a 30mph zone and motored through two “no entry” signs over a one-way bridge in the wrong direction, seemingly seeking to drive in circles to lose the pursing police car.
Kidd was forced to reverse as he encountered another vehicle on his second trip over the bridge.
With one tyre deflated, he then travelled on the wrong side before braking hard and reversing at speed, ramming the patrol vehicle.
This, Carlisle Crown Court was told, cause air bags to deploy, the windscreen to crack and, said prosecutor Claire Brocklebank: “Both police officers suffered injury.”
One sustained cuts and bruising to his hands and knees, and pain to his lower back, and the other a burn to his hand from the air bag, along with grazing, swelling and back ache.
When tracked down and arrested, Kidd, of Scalegate Road, Carlisle, admitted: “It was all me, you know.”
He added: “I don’t know why I rammed it. I’ve just doubled my time.”
He admitted dangerous driving and driving while disqualified, had previous motoring convictions and was serving a ban running until July 2022, at the time of his latest offending.
He had since been recalled to prison on licence to continue serving a lengthy jail term he received in early 2019 for his involvement in cocaine trafficking.
Kidd had also tested positive for Covid while in custody, the court heard.
His barrister Kim Whittlestone said of the New Year’s Day offending: “It was his girlfriend’s car. He panicked.”
Describing Kidd’s criminal record as “terrible”, Recorder Ciaran Rankin imposed an immediate 12-month jail sentence.
He also ordered Kidd to serve a two-year driving ban and pass an extended re-test.
