Biker fled police at 120mph (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Biker fled police at 120mph

A SWINDON motorcyclist who led police on a high-speed chase through Bracknell before hiding in a stranger's house has been jailed for four months.

Stuart Cox hit speeds of up to 120mph during the pursuit, jumping a red light narrowly missing two cars, even zooming along pavements and pedestrian underpasses on a busy Saturday morning.

Police saw Cox's Honda VFR driving dangerously on the A329 towards Bracknell at 11am on April 17 last year.

Cox, 30, of Tregantle Walk, Swindon, appeared at East Berkshire Magistrates Court in Slough on charges of dangerous driving.

The court heard a police officer flagged the motorcycle down, but Cox sped off. The officer than managed to pull alongside the bike and used hand signals for him to stop. These were ignored and the chase continued as Cox tried to flee the police.

Cox then performed a U-turn and went tearing off down another street where he almost collided with two vehicles, before disappearing down a pedestrian underpass.

The policeman continued his pursuit thanks to two pedestrians who pointed out where Cox had gone.

The bike, without the rider, was then seen in a residential street and the householder told police that a stranger was hiding in her house. After a brief struggle with the officer Cox was arrested.

Joanna Turley, defending, said the reason Cox did not initially stop was because he was worried that he had a small amount of cannabis on him.

She said he had had an unstable at the time because his partner had alcohol and drug problems. She said he had since moved on and that prison would be a major setback.

Cox, who pleaded guilty to dangerous driving at an earlier hearing, was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison and handed a three-year driving ban.

Jamie Hill