Video shows dangerous Sussex driver 'flooring it' to evade police

Jack Watson, of Hartfield Avenue in Brighton, has been jailed after reaching ‘staggering and startling’ high speeds of more than 110mph on the M6 through Warrington, Haydock and Wigan, as well as on residential roads.

The 35-year-old ‘floored it’ in a bid to evade officers, taking them on a chase across three counties and around 20 miles – before crashing into a house in Billinge and narrowly avoiding hitting a sleeping woman.

Having admitted dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance, he was jailed at Chester Crown Court on Friday for 18 months.

He was also banned from driving for 30 months, and he must pass an extended retest before getting behind the wheel again.

The sentence was welcomed by PC Richardson, of the force's Roads and Crime Unit, who said: “Jack Watson's decisions that day endangered the lives of other road users and the officers pursuing him.

“He also risked seriously harming members of the public sat inside what is meant to be the safety of their own home.

“When Watson's vehicle eventually came to a stop, it was also a result of his reckless driving and thinking he could outrun police.

“He caused considerable damage to a vehicle he did not have permission to drive or own, a parked vehicle and the exterior of someone's own home.

“All of this would have been avoided if Watson had not got behind the wheel that day.

“As a force, we do all we can to educate and encourage all motorists to drive safely on Cheshire's roads.

Jack Watson was jailed at Chester Crown Court (Image: Cheshire Police)

“This incident sends a message that we will not hesitate to act against those individuals set on flouting the rules of the road, and who think the law does not apply to them.

“It is also my hope that Watson finally learns from this and never places himself in this position again.”

If you have any information in relation to dangerous driving or speeding, call Cheshire Police on 101, or always 999 in an emergency, or visit cheshire.police.uk/tell-us

You can also report information anonymously to CrimeStoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or visiting Crimestoppers.org.uk

The court heard how Watson was spotted by officers from the Roads and Crime Unit swerving on the M6 near junction 22 for Winwick and Newton-le-Willows.

After leaving the motorway and joining A and B-roads, he drove on the wrong side of the road, took blind bends and a single-lane humpback bridge at speed and crossed mini-roundabouts with ‘no sign of slowing or stopping’.

He also went through two sets of red traffic lights – one of which was for temporary roadworks, with the road down to one lane and into the path of vehicles with the right of way had there been traffic coming, which thankfully there was not due to the time of day.

The pursuit concluded in Billinge when Watson collided with a house, garden wall and parked car.

Such was the impact that he destroyed both vehicles and caused thousands of pounds worth of structural damage to the house.

Despite being severely injured, Watson continued to evade police, fleeing from the crashed vehicle on foot before being found hiding in the rear garden of the house he had crashed into.

Following his arrest officers discovered that Watson had obtained the car from a rental company before he had been insured and given permission to drive the vehicle, they also found that he was subject to a current disqualification from driving for similar offences.

Watson refused to answer any questions, aside from the fact that he was disqualified from driving.