Jailed: Man drove at 80mph in 30mph zones in police chase through Shrewsbury in stolen Mercedes
A man who drove at 80mph in 30mph zones and went the wrong way down roads in a police chase through Shrewsbury in a stolen Mercedes has been jailed.
Liverpool-based Michael Bethell, 28, was trying to dispose of the car that had been taken in a house burglary when he was spotted by police on October 2 this year.
Officers followed him to Battlefield service station because the Mercedes A Class that he was driving had false plates.
As they prepared to get out and speak to him, he sped off into Harlescott industrial estate.
Police dashcam footage was played at Shrewsbury Crown Court which showed Bethell weaving in and out of traffic, driving on the wrong side of the road, going the wrong way around roundabouts and bashing mirrors off other cars.
He sped at around 80mph in 30mph zones and was seen whizzing over the level crossing at Harlescott.
Police pursued him on Battlefield Road, Harlescott Lane, Lancaster Road, Mount Pleasant and York Road, where he was seen careering past parked cars in a built-up area in the middle of the day.
He was followed down Ditherington Road, St Michael's Street, and Castle Forgate, but officers stopped their pursuit, deeming it too dangerous to the public in the town centre for it to continue.
Risk
Police caught up with him after he was seen parking up and getting out on CCTV.
Bethell had only been out of prison for three months after a conviction for actual bodily harm in March this year.
He already had 53 convictions including several driving offences on his lengthy rap sheet. One of those convictions included taking a car in a house burglary.
It was accepted by the prosecution that there was no evidence to suggest he was involved in the burglary.
Bethell, from Elstead Road, Liverpool, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking, driving while disqualified and driving with no insurance.
Andrew Holland, defending, said Bethell lives with his partner of 10 years and two young children, and that he had promised his partner he wouldn't go to prison again.
Mr Holland said: "He knew the risk he was taking, and understands fully the likely sentence."
Judge Peter Barrie told Bethell: "We've watched the footage from the pursuing police vehicle. The level of driving was at the most serious in terms of how dangerous it was."
He jailed Bethell for 14 months, disqualified him from driving for two years and seven months, and told him he must take an extended driving test in order to regain his license.
