Criminal crashed stolen car into vehicle leaving boy, 5, with bleed …
A criminal who ploughed a stolen vehicle into a car carrying a family-of-five, leaving a boy with a bleed on the brain, has been jailed. David Poulton tried to escape from police[1], who spotted him in a Ford EcoSport on Dartmouth Circus, by driving on the wrong side of the road and through red traffic lights during a 80mph pursuit.
He ended up on the wrong side of the Heartlands Parkway before hitting the VW T-Cross and injuring the three adults and two children inside. A boy aged five suffered a bleed on the brain and is now undergoing rehabilitation to learn how to talk again.
His brother aged three suffered less serious injuries. While the three adults suffered injuries including a broken femur.
Poulton, 41, was arrested and taken to hospital to be treated for minor injuries after the crash, which happened just before 2pm on 30 April. The car had been stolen in February from a Morrisons[3] car park in Coventry, and Poulton was wanted for making threats and criminal damage at the time of the arrest.
Poulton, of no fixed address, admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving, disqualified driving, failing to stop for police, driving without insurance, handling stolen goods and failing to provide a specimen of blood for analysis.
(Image: WMP)
He also admitted possession of cannabis, and the offences he was wanted for at the time. He has more than 40 previous convictions. On Friday, (10 November) at Birmingham Crown Court he was jailed for a total of six years, and banned from driving for 18 years.
The family had travelled to the West Midlands from the South to visit their in-laws for Eid[4] and were on their way to Star City.
Sgt Richard Adams, of Birmingham CID, said: “This was an appalling case of dangerous driving. He showed a complete disregard for other drivers, and once he decided to speed the wrong way down a busy road, a collision was inevitable.
“It was pure luck that he or other people weren’t killed. Thankfully the family involved are all making good recoveries.”