Man drove wrong way along streets (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Man drove wrong way along streets

A MOTORIST who drove the wrong way along two one-way streets was chased across the town centre by a police officer on foot.

Haroon Raja, 24, sped away from the John Street car park with a broken window after refusing to stop for police, Swindon Crown Court heard.

But officer PC Paul Best, who was on plain clothes duty, gave chase as the vehicle went the wrong way down East Street and Bristol Street.

Colin Meeke, prosecuting, said "On the afternoon of Wednesday, February 23 a member of the public called having become concerned about the activities going on in and around a Honda Civic in the John Street car park.

"He was sufficiently concerned that he reported matters to the police. Constable Best was despatched to the area to make investigations."

He said that the officer, who with a colleague was in plain clothes, approached the car and produced his warrant card.

"He held it aloft and declared himself a police officer and indicated he wanted to speak to the driver of the car," Mr Meeke said.

As the engine revved up he realised that the car was going to be driven away and both officers had to leap out of the way.

Mr Meeke said that PC Best tried to open the driver's door but could not so used his baton to smash the side window.

The vehicle left the car park at speed going on to John Street with the officers in pursuit.

They saw it turn on to Fleet Street without braking at the junction and then on to Fleming Way, again without braking.

The officers then made their way towards East Street and Harding Street where they saw the car going the wrong way on a one-way street.

Mr Meeke said that again the constables were able to anticipate where the car would go and reached the junction of Sheppard Street and Bridge Street where they again saw the vehicle.

He said that it was going the wrong way along Bristol Street but cars going in the opposite direction refused to move out of the way causing Raja to perform a U turn.

The car then went at some speed along the white line in the middle of the street and on to Station Road where it was stopped by a marked police car.

Raja, of Vicarage Road, Yardley, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving.

Charles Gabb, defending, said that his client had not been doing anything wrong when he was first approached by the police.

He said that his client at first had not realised that the men approaching his car were police as he just saw a man carrying a stick.

Raja, he said, had a good driving record, hoped to start a four-year engineering degree next month and had also worked helping children with numeracy and literacy.

Imposing a 180-hour community service order Judge Tom Longbotham said "Mercifully, and it was merciful, no one was injured and no car was hit."

He also banned him from the road for two years and ordered he sit an extended retest before getting his licence back.

Jamie Hill