September 2, 2016 4.20 pm This story is over 90 months old

Learner drove at 70 mph through Lincoln housing estate in desperate bid to give police the slip

A learner driver reached speeds of 70 mph as he drove through a city housing estate in a bid to evade a pursuing police car, Lincoln Crown Court was told. Michael Fahey, a provisional licence holder, stopped his vehicle close to the railway crossing on Skellingthorpe Road in Lincoln after he spotted a police car…
Lincoln Crown Court. Photo: The Lincolnite

A learner driver reached speeds of 70 mph as he drove through a city housing estate in a bid to evade a pursuing police car, Lincoln Crown Court was told.

Michael Fahey, a provisional licence holder, stopped his vehicle close to the railway crossing on Skellingthorpe Road in Lincoln after he spotted a police car with its blue flashing lights on.

But when he realised that he was the target of the police officers he accelerated away only to be pursued into the Hartsholme Estate.

Phil Howes, prosecuting, said: “He turned left into Hemswell Avenue. He was doing 60 mph in a 30 limit. He was driving over speed bumps and nearly hit a taxi at the bottom of Hemswell Avenue.

“He turned onto Scampton Avenue and then on to Ashby Avenue. He exceeded 70 mph on Ashby Avenue and made no attempt to slow down.

“He came back onto Skellingthorpe Road and then turned left into Hartsholme Park. The officers followed him.

“He went through the park at speed and eventually he ended up in a bush. He ran off but was apprehended.”

Fahey had a carrier bag with him which contained 236gs of cannabis bush. When questioned he said the drugs belonged to somebody else.

Fahey, 28, of Westwick Drive, Lincoln, admitted dangerous driving as a result of the incident on the afternoon of February 26.

He also admitted driving unsupervised without a full licence, having no insurance and possession of cannabis.

He was jailed for eight months and banned from driving for two years and four months.

James Gray, defending, said that when police approached Fahey he panicked because knew he had cannabis in the car.

Mr Gray said: “Had he not had the cannabis in the car he wouldn’t have felt the need to speed away from the police and he would not have been driving dangerously.

“Since this he first of all reduced his cannabis intake and is now not taking it all.”

Mr Gray said that Fahey has work available to him and urged that any prison sentence should be suspended.