Shropshire Star

'Dangerous, crazy and horrific': Teenager condemned after leading police on 130mph chase

A teenage tearaway led police on a terrifying 130mph chase at the wheel of a stolen Audi, a judge heard.

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At one point he drove the wrong way along a slip road of the M6, before police were able to corner him and take him into custody.

The 17-year-old and two friends were among a gang who took the ignition keys of two cars after breaking into a house in Grantham Close, Amblecote, near Stourbridge, during the early hours of October 21.

They snapped a door lock to gain access to the property at around 3.45am but woke people while taking the cars – an Audi A1 and Audi A4 – from the driveway, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

Police were quickly alerted and a patrol car saw the vehicles heading towards Hagley from the Clent area.

The crew were travelling in the opposite direction and turned to pursue the grey A4 driven by the 17-year-old from Acocks Green, who cannot be named because of his age.

The car had two passengers, a 17-year-old from Handsworth and Omar Ali-Elmi aged 20, as it raced to join the M5 at Junction 4 before hitting 130mph while heading towards the M6, revealed Mr Marcus Harry, prosecuting.

It left the motorway for a short time during which the Audi went over speed bumps at 70mph in a failed bid to shake off the pursuing police as more patrols joined the chase.

The speeding Audi was driven back onto the motorway and tore up the M6 to the Wolverhampton and Walsall turn off at Junction 10 where it exited before trying to rejoin the motorway by going the wrong way down a slip road.

Two police cars shadowed the move and forced the car to crash by sandwiching it between their vehicles. “It was too big a risk to let it go any further,” explained Mr Harry.

The stolen car’s three occupants gave ‘no comment’ interviews and the Audi A1 stolen in the burglary has not been found.

The 17-year-old driver had 14 previous convictions involving 22 separate offences including dangerous driving, the court heard.

Mr Lucas Hamilton Eddy, defending both the Handsworth 17-year-old and Ali-Elmi from Ventor Avenue, Lozells, said they were extremely sorry while Mr David Iles, representing the driver maintained: “He lost his way and fell in with the wrong crowd.”

All three defendants admitted burglary and theft of a vehicle and the driver also pleaded guilty to dangerous driving.

He was banned from driving for 25 months and given a 18 month detention and training order like the other 17-year-old.

Ali-Elmi received 18 months detention in a Young Offenders Institution.

James Burbidge QC told the 17-year-old driver: “Your driving was dangerous, crazy and horrific.”

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