Magistrates were told that Terry Leach embarked in a Saab 93 saloon car with passengers on board on an eight-mile chase that began on the outskirts of bridgnorth and ended on a narrow road under a bridge at Bratch Lane in Wombourne.

Leach, 26, of Greenlawns, St Marks Road, Tipton, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and having no license or insurance on January 28, 2024.

Sara Beddow, prosecutor, said Telford Magistrates Court that Leach was involved in a “long police chase” which included him driving around blind bends at speed, forcing other cars to stop and with passengers in the car.

The chase began at 1.40pm near Stanmore Hall, near Bridgnorth, and headed along the A454 towards Wolverhampton.

Beddow said the chase went through Wyken and Hilton and then through the third exit of a roundabout onto the B4176. After taking two left-hand bends at high speed, he sped down Pool House Road on the outskirts of Wombourne.

Beddow said that after speeding along the residential area of ​​Bratch Common Road at more than 80 mph, he approached a T-junction at 70 mph before braking hard and turning right at high speed onto Bratch. Lane.

The court was told the chase stopped on a narrow road under a bridge.

Beddow said the route had been “blocked by a member of the public”. But the court was not told whether the public was on foot or in another vehicle.

The court heard that advanced police drivers had used “driving tactics” to end the chase and had been using blue lights and sirens, but Leach had sped off.

‘Contempt for other road users’

“There was a disregard for other road users and it forced a citizen to brake to avoid a collision,” Beddow said.

“Over a prolonged period, over a distance of eight miles, he was putting the public at risk.

“At first it wasn’t dangerous, but it accelerated and became dangerous at that point.”

The prosecutor said they were serious matters that should be dealt with at the crown court.

Brendan ReedyCounsel for PCB Solicitors said he agreed that the sentence was not suitable for a trial court.

He said the offense could carry a sentence starting with 36 weeks in prison, which is beyond the powers of the magistrates’ court.

The magistrates agreed that they would not take up the matter.

Leach was told he would have to appear at Shrewsbury Crown Court on a date to be decided and was released on bail.

But they handed down a provisional driving ban and ordered the probation service to draw up a pre-sentence report in time for sentencing.