Banned driver led police on 100mph chase on A180 with ‘petrified’ children and woman in the car

A banned driver who hurtled along the A180 dual carriageway during a hair-raising police chase had four "petrified" children, including a baby, and a woman with him in the car.

The other three children were all aged under eight and one of them, in the front passenger seat, was "screaming in terror" and was "in tears" and curled up in a ball when police finally managed to stop the speeding car.

Reckless and panicking driver Daniel Harrison reached speeds of 100mph during the "horrifying" chase and he, his girlfriend and the children could easily have been killed if there had been a crash, Grimsby Crown Court^[1] heard.

Harrison, 34, of Roseveare Avenue, Grimsby, admitted two offences of dangerous driving and four offences of child cruelty on March 18 last year.

Jazmine Lee, prosecuting, said that police spotted Harrison in a Fiat Panda car at the junction of Myton Street and Osborne Street, Hull, at 5.55pm. There was a woman in the back with a baby girl on her lap. The baby was not in a child seat or restrained by a safety belt.

Police knocked on the window of the car to get Harrison's attention. "The defendant's eyes stayed fixed forward," said Miss Lee. "Eventually, he wound his window down." He agreed to move into a bay and closed the window but continued to look forward with his eyes fixed on the traffic lights ahead.

The officer knocked on the window again but Harrison drove straight through the red traffic lights and had to weave left and right to avoid other vehicles. Police could not follow the car but it was later seen on the M62 motorway at 6.25pm and was followed to the M18, M180 and A180, heading towards Grimsby.

Harrison hurtled along the dual carriageway in the car, which had the woman and the baby in the back. There were also three other young children, one of whom was a front-seat passenger.

Harrison reached speeds exceeding 90mph and 100mph during a chase. Police tried to box the car in but Harrison broke out and dodged round on the hard shoulder, making contact with one of the police cars, and continued speeding away on the A180 towards Brocklesby and Stallingborough.

In the area of the Luxmore services petrol station, police laid a tyre-bursting stinger, puncturing a rear tyre, and the car eventually came to a stop.

Harrison was told to get out of the car. He was smoking a cigarette at the time. "The children in the car were crying and the one in the front seat was screaming in terror and was in tears and huddling into a ball," said Miss Lee.

"We don't know the actual long-term impact it has has on the children. There is some emotional harm caused. The adult in the rear doesn't seem to know what the defendant was playing at."

The three other children were wearing seat belts but were not in child seats. "There was a deliberate disregard for the four children in the vehicle," said Miss Lee. "It was a prolonged incident and there were two separate occasions of dangerous driving."

Harrison had a previous conviction for dangerous driving and failing to stop in 2011, when he was given a one-year community order, which he breached. He had two assault offences between 2005 and 2009. His most recent offence was in 2011.

Bianca Brasoveanu, mitigating, said that Harrison, knowing that he was a disqualified driver, was "overwhelmed by the possibility of being arrested" and went into a "flight or fight mechanism" that led him to behave irrationally.

"He found it difficult to describe what went on," said Miss Brasoveanu. "He accepts that the experience must have been horrifying for the children. He struggles to explain what led him to behave in the way that he did.

"It's by sheer luck that his driving did not cause any injury to himself, his passengers or any other members of the public." He was fully aware that the dangerousness of his actions could have led to more serious consequences and he had shown remorse.

Join the FREE Grimsby Live WhatsApp Community

Get all the latest stories, sent straight to your WhatsApp - all you need to do is click the link^[3].

We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice^[4].

Judge Mark Bury said that Harrison bought the car even though he was banned from driving but he was seen by police while the car was stationary near traffic lights.

Judge Bury told Harrison: "Your driving, leaving aside how old the children were, was highly dangerous." It included driving at speeds of about 100mph and undertaking other vehicles, which was itself highly dangerous.

"If you had to brake for any reason, there would have been fatalities for sure in any collision or accident. The children were not properly protected because they were youngsters with no booster seat.

"You put your own interests first. It prevented you from thinking rationally about the safety of others."

The children were put in "extreme danger" during the incident. "They were petrified by their experience on this occasion," said Judge Bury. "People who drive in this way, putting [people] at risk in the way that you did must understand that there's only one sentence that's going to await them. Only a sentence of immediate imprisonment can be justified."

Harrison was jailed for two years and three months and was banned from driving for six years and six weeks. He must pass an extended retest before he can drive legally again.

References

1. ^{^} Court (www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk)
2. ^{^} Mysterious man 'Romeo' recruited cannabis gardener in meeting outside pub (www.hulldailymail.co.uk)
3. ^{^} click the link (tinyurl.com)
4. ^{^} Privacy Notice (bit.ly)