Speeding Telford driver hit telegraph pole fleeing police

Daniel Brown drove across roundabouts the wrong way, straddled the white line and entered a Shifnal one-way street in the wrong direction, a court heard.

Police were so concerned that he would lose control of his car that they called off the chase. But he eventually lost control, left the road and crashed.

Brown, who didn't have a licence, was driving a Ford Focus he had bought for his girlfriend.

A judge a Shrewsbury Crown Court said Brown could have killed himself or others.

Brown, 26, of Arthur Way, Woodside, had admitted dangerous driving at a previous hearing.

He avoided going to jail after Judge Jim Tindal suspended a 12-month prison sentence for two years.

The judge ordered Brown to complete 100 hours of unpaid work, obey a three-month overnight curfew and pay £250 costs.

Delroy Henry, prosecuting, told the court that Brown failed to stop for officers in Telford.

He drove through the Stirchley interchange doing about 75mph in a 40 mile an hour zone and headed out of Telford toward Shifnal.

Pursued by police he reached speeds of 90mph, straddling the centre line. Motorists had to slow down to keep out of his way.

"Mercifully, because of the time of night the traffic on the road was light," Mr Henry said. On the outskirts of Shifnal he went around a roundabout the wrong way and then ignored a no entry sign to drive down Church Street the wrong way.

Defence solicitor Simon Hanns, for Brown, said his client had an unenviable record but had settled down and for the past two years had kept out of trouble.

"He has been growing up. He has support from his family and a girlfriend. He had bought the car to give to his girlfriend but his actions led to him wrecking it," Mr Hanns said.