This is the moment traffic police managed to box-in a dangerous driver who’d already been banned from the roads.
Ben Cox, who was spared an immediate prison sentence by an Oxford judge last month, could be seen jumping red lights and speeding past an Oxford Tube coach before officers were able to box him in and bring the 23-year-old’s Corsa to a halt in June.
Thames Valley Police’s traffic unit have now released a compilation of video footage of the chase.
Officers wrote: “We will pursue those who seek to put others’ lives in danger.”
Last month, Judge Maria Lamb heard Cox already had three driving while disqualified offences on his list of previous convictions as well as another dangerous driving.
Reckless ⛔️
— TVP Roads Policing (@tvprp) September 10, 2021
Name: Ben Cox, aged 23 of Greig Road, Acton, London.
Conviction: Dangerous driving.
Sentence: 9 months (suspended for 2 years), disqualified for 2 years + subject to an extended test pass.
Message: We will pursue those who seek to put others’ lives in danger. pic.twitter.com/KS30mBJxwX
The driver, whose pregnant partner was in the Vauxhall when he led police on the chase around the Oxford bypass, was given 12 months’ imprisonment suspended for two years with 120 hours of unpaid work and the thinking skills programme. He received a nine month sentence for dangerous driving, with an additional three months for driving while disqualified.
Judge Lamb told him: “Right, Ben Cox. 23 years of age and back before the court for the fourth offence of driving while disqualified and the second offence of dangerous driving.
“I read what is said about the circumstances in which this took place but really that is no excuse.
“It is an aggravating factor that you have previous convictions for that offence and when all is said and done about your concerns for your partner she was in the car and you drove her through at least two sets of red lights.”
In mitigation, the defendant was said to be remorseful. He had difficulties with his mental health and had spent several months in prison on remand.
He was banned from driving for two years and must take an extended retest.
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