Teenager who led police on high speed chase through Telford spared jail for second time

Jason Bridgwater of Warrensway, Woodside, Telford, appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Friday for breaching a suspended sentence order he was given on August 16 this year.

Judge Jim Tindal said the 18-year-old is a “spoiled brat” who would go straight to jail if he returned to court for a third time.

On June 23, Bridgwater led police officers on a pursuit through Telford town centre, ignoring the blue lights and sirens. He was eventually arrested six days later and later admitted charges of taking a car without the owner’s consent, driving dangerously and driving while disqualified.

The court heard the defendant failed to turn up for unpaid work which was a requirement of his 18 month suspended sentence and had been difficult with probation officers.

Paul Smith, for Bridgwater, said his offending in 2017 was because of breakdown in his relationship with his father, but that this had now been resolved.

Judge Tindal removed the unpaid work from the order but imposed a curfew between 8pm and 6am, lasting a month.

He said: “I don’t know what happened or in fact didn’t happen with your probation officer but it’s your order, not theirs

“You’re clearly someone who struggles to handle your anger and think that means everyone around you has to tread on egg shells but that’s not actually the case. You need to grow up.

“You’ve breached your order once now, and in my experience, people who break this kind of order for a second time go to prison and you should expect that too. I’m prepared to give you a chance because probation is prepared to give you one more chance.

“I’m going to remove the unpaid work and replace it with a more onerous curfew. If you breach that requirement then you know what will happen to you.

“You need to suck it up, start to behave like a grown up and not a spoilt brat.”