A Swindon man has been sentenced to 26 months in prison and ordered to pay over £13,000 in compensation after pleading guilty to dangerous driving and other offences.
Daniel Usher, 45, formerly of Ermin Street, Swindon, was sentenced at Swindon Crown Court sitting in Cirencester on May 16. His charges included dangerous driving, driving without a licence or insurance, and possession of a knife blade in a public place.
The incident occurred on January 31 when Usher was driving an Audi S3 in Eldene. Officers attempted to stop him using lights and sirens, but Usher fled, reaching speeds over 100mph on Queens Drive. He continued to drive at high speeds through residential streets, some with a 20mph speed limit.
When officers finally managed to stop Usher, the pursuit resulted in damage to police vehicles. Two kitchen knives were found inside his car.
PC Luke Hobbs from the Roads Policing Unit commented, “Usher’s standard of driving was totally unacceptable and incredibly dangerous, especially considering this was through a very densely populated residential area. He showed no regard for other road users whatsoever and in doing so, put others’ lives in danger. I am really pleased with the sentence he has been given – it is a reflection of the seriousness of his actions.”
In addition to his prison sentence, Usher was disqualified from driving for four years and one month and ordered to pay compensation totalling £13,650.24.
