Cheshire: Driver jailed after speeds of 120 mph in police pursuit
Florin Lingurar, 31, was sentenced on Friday, August 11, at Chester Crown Court having previously pleading guilty to dangerous driving, driving without a licence, and driving without insurance.
Prosecuting, Rosemary Proctor told the court how, on July 13 of this year, Lingurar was seen overtaking a police officer at speed heading eastbound on the M56.
The police car began to follow, almost catching up at Junction 14 for Helsby and clocking Lingurar at 120 miles per hour.
Soon after, Lingurar, of Ash Road in Oldham, was signalled to stop by police while still going at over 100 miles per hour. He then stopped on the hard shoulder.
The following police officer pulled in and approached the vehicle. Once the officer was out of his vehicle the Oldham resident then proceeded to drive off, prompting a police chase.
The defendant soon exited the motorway, driving the wrong way around two roundabouts and losing police.
After this, police discovered the vehicle crashed into a barrier on the grass next to the M6 merger in Lymm.
Officers found documents in the abandoned car which allowed them to find Lingurar, who was hidden in a nearby hotel.
The defendant had convictions on six previous occasions for nine different crimes, mostly involving burglary. His most recent offence, four months prior for theft, had seen him imprisoned.
Defending Lingurar, Bernice Campbell told the court that on the day of the offence, he had been told his nephew’s lung had collapsed.
He then ‘abandoned his three children and pregnant wife’, to go and be with his nephew and family in Sheffield, where he was hospitalised.
She said: “He knew that, if he was stopped, he would not be able to go see his nephew.”
He did, however, accept that he should not have been going at that speed.
Presiding over the case, Judge Recorder Lamb recapped to Lingurar to the facts of the case, saying: “Police saw you overtake at speed. A police car who pursued you clocked you at between 100 and 120 miles per hour.
“You pulled over, stopping at junction 11 then drove off when police pulled over.
“You left the motorway with your headlights off, then drove around two roundabouts the wrong way.
“This was persistent bad driving, and dangerous to others.”
Judge Recorder Lamb decided to issue a sentence of 15 months, reduced to ten months due to an early guilty plea by Lingurar.
His license will be endorsed, however there will be no separate financial penalty.”