Driver jailed for dangerous driving in Ellesmere Port
A court heard 25-year-old Leo Meek was driving a stolen BMW
A man who led police on a dangerous pursuit, reaching speeds of more than 100mph in a 40mph zone, while driving a stolen vehicle, has been jailed for almost two years.
Leo Meek appeared at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday 22 May where he was sentenced to 22 months for dangerous driving and handling stolen goods.
The 25-year-old, of no fixed abode, had previously pleaded guilty to the offences.
During the afternoon of Wednesday 19 July 2023, an officer was in an unmarked police vehicle when he saw a stolen vehicle, a white BWM M135i, on Rivacre Road, Ellesmere Port.
As the officer caught up to the vehicle, the driver made a sudden turn and started increasing in speed and refusing the stop, despite the police vehicle’s blue lights being activated.
The stolen BMW overtook multiple vehicles, tailgating them to force them to pull over, and picked up speeds of more than 100mph along winding narrow roads, more than double the 40mph speed limit.
Having lost sight of the vehicle due to the excess speeds, the officer found the BMW had crashed on the bridge above the M53. The car had hit the barrier with such force it had dented it, and in doing so prevented it from falling onto the motorway below.
The driver had already fled the scene, abandoning their front seat passenger. There was extensive damage to the front end of the vehicle, which was confirmed to have been stolen the previous week from the Manchester area. Officers discovered three sets of registration plates in the boot of the car.
Meek was confirmed as the driver after his DNA was recovered from the steering wheel airbag, which had been deployed in the crash. He was subsequently arrested and charged in relation to the incident.
Meek’s DNA was already registered on the Police National Computer System following a previous conviction in 2021 for death by dangerous driving. Meek had been speeding when he collided with a 15-year-old boy who was riding his bike in the Upton area of Merseyside.
Meek failed to stop at the scene. The teenage victim sadly died the next morning from his injuries.
On top of his latest sentence, Meek is disqualified from driving for 47 months.
Following the sentencing PC Cooling said: “Despite already causing the death of an innocent teenager through reckless driving and speeding, Meek clearly had not learnt from this tragic incident.
“It is a miracle that no other collisions occurred as a result of Meek’s driving on 19 July. He put innocent members of the public at risk, reaching alarming speeds in excess of 100mph and eventually losing control of the stolen vehicle.
“Thankfully the bridge barrier prevented the vehicle from falling onto the motorway below, but the damage to the car and the barrier shows just how dangerous Meek’s driving was.
“Even after the collision, Meek continued to try and evade police by fleeing the scene, showing no regard for the safety of his passenger. Just as he fled the scene after hitting the young cyclist in 2021, he again failed to stop and was only concerned with getting away.
“However, his efforts were to no avail. Thanks to DNA left on the airbag, officers from the Roads and Crime unit along with crime scene investigators confirmed Meek had been driving, tracked him down, and he is now behind bars for his actions.
“This highlights that there really is nowhere to hide – we will use every resource available to us to hold people to account. I hope this also serves as a reminder to those who commit crimes on Cheshire’s roads that you will be caught.”