A MINI driver rammed a car containing a mum and her two children as police tried to arrest his passenger outside a Swindon McDonald’s.

Swindon Crown Court heard Jamie Milligan, 29, was being urged by his passengers, understood to include now convicted drug dealer Jack Young, to get away as police officers swooped on his Mini outside the Bridgemead fast food restaurant on December 12, 2018.

As he tried to move off, he struck a car being driven by a woman, who was taking her two young children to McDonald’s for a treat.

In a victim personal statement read to the court by prosecutor Susan Cavender, the mum said her children were still affected by the incident two years on. She said of one daughter: “She would ask ‘Is the bad man going to get us? Is he going to break into our house?’”

CCTV played to the court showed Milligan’s Mini surrounded by a swarm of police officers. He’d ignored an instruction to stop for the officers and, at the McDonald’s restaurant, drove towards a police car then mounted the kerb to try and get away.

The police officers were forced to get out the way of the vehicle. Milligan narrowly missed a reversing taxi then struck the car driven by the woman.

Police smashed their way into the Mini and heard occupants in the car, which was later found to contain cannabis, shouting at Milligan to drive away.

Swindon Advertiser:

McDonald's, Bridgemead Picture: DAVE COX

Judge Jason Taylor QC said: “Not withstanding your panic in the heat of the moment you were still responsible for what happened and the risk that was caused to others.

“The fact of the matter is it may well have been short-lived but you had passengers in your car and whilst they may not have helped themselves you were still responsible for their safety as the driver.

“You not only damaged the car you were driving but you damaged the car that you struck and there was the risk of injury to others not just inside your car but police officers and the mother and her two young children.”

Milligan skipped police bail and was on the run for 17 months before the authorities caught up with him and he was put before the courts earlier this year.

Letitia Egan, mitigating, said that during that time he’d managed to hold down a well-paid job, earning around £30,000 a year installing internet cables. He supported his young children and was also a carer for his mum. He had remained out of trouble.

But Judge Taylor questioned the effectiveness of the mitigation, bearing in mind Milligan had been at large.

Swindon Advertiser:

Jamie Milligan's custody shot Picture: WILTSHIRE POLICE

He noted that the defendant, who was remanded into custody last month, had not even told his bosses he was in prison. Milligan told the court he’d been taking sick leave instead: “I didn’t want to make them aware. They will probably just sack me immediately.”

The defendant apologised to his victim, saying his two children were the same age as those in the car he’d struck. That found little favour with the judge, who told the man: “Why did you choose to go on the run for 17 months, which just prolonged the unknown for that family?”

A probation report put forward a community penalty, but noted that Milligan’s last community penalty had run out without him doing a single one of the 60 hours of unpaid work ordered by the courts.

Milligan, of Biggs Square, Hackney, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving without insurance or a licence and failing to surrender.

Jailing him for 10 months, Judge Taylor said: “In my judgement there is an evasiveness and disingenuity to your character which means you are hard to pin down.” That would make it hard to enforce a community order.

Milligan was banned from driving for 18 months, with a five month extended period to take account of his jail sentence. He must pass an extended retest if he wants to drive again.