HIGH SPEED PURSUIT Disqualified Mustang driver jailed to await sentence after high-speed police pursuit near Swindon

A driver who led police on a dangerous pursuit through Wiltshire in a powerful Ford Mustang has admitted a string of offences after being brought to a stop by tactical police contact.

Officers were called at around 9pm on Wednesday, July 8, following reports that a Ford Mustang was being driven dangerously on the M4 westbound in Wiltshire.

When officers attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver failed to stop and sped away, driving the wrong way at Junction 15 before joining the A419.

The pursuit continued until the Mustang turned onto the A420 towards Faringdon, where specially trained officers used tactical contact to safely bring the vehicle to an immediate halt.

The driver, Martin Stokes, 20, of no fixed abode, was arrested and later charged with:

• Dangerous driving
• Assaulting an emergency worker
• Criminal damage
• Driving whilst disqualified
• Threats to kill
• Using a motor vehicle without insurance

The Mustang involved in the pursuit was fitted with Irish registration plates.

Appearing before swindon/" title="Swindon" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">Swindon Magistrates’ Court on Friday, Stokes pleaded guilty to all offences.

He was remanded into custody and will remain in prison ahead of his sentencing at Swindon Crown Court on 21 August.

PC Ben Greening, from Wiltshire Police’s Roads Policing Unit, said: “This was some of the most dangerous driving we have witnessed and I am thankful that he has been remanded in custody until his next court appearance.

“His actions put so many road users’ lives at risk and it is incredibly lucky that nobody was injured as a result of his actions.”

Wiltshire Police said the case highlights the dangers posed by motorists who choose to ignore officers and drive recklessly on the county’s roads.