Man involved in dangerous car chase sentenced

A man who was involved in a dangerous pursuit on the roads around Swindon after stealing a car has been sentenced to eight months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.

27 year-old Michael Bowers, of Botley Road, Southampton, was viewing a red Citroen for sale in Bristol when he sat in the driver’s seat without permission and drove off.

At junction 16, Wiltshire roads policing officer PC Paul Davis joined the pursuit, following Bowers to junction 15, where Bowers then left the motorway, avoiding a stinger at the junction before heading northbound on the A419, he drove at speeds up to 100mph.

He struck a kerb, narrowly missing a parked lorry, before alighting the still moving vehicle. Bowers was found in a ditch nearby and arrested.

PC Davis said: “Bowers put countless lives at risk, including his own, through his incredibly dangerous and reckless driving and it is a miracle there were no collisions.

“After stealing the vehicle in the first place, he then forced numerous vehicles to take evasive action to avoid a collision with him, driving the wrong way around roundabouts to try and lose the officers in pursuit.

“Because of the speeds he was driving at, had anything unexpected happened on the road, then he would not have had time to stop.

“I am pleased he has now been sentenced and I hope he reflects on how dangerous his actions were.”