Unlicensed Hartlepool driver rammed police after being caught in car stolen earlier the same day

Adam Thomson, 29, drove a Seat Leon that had been stolen in a burglary at a woman’s home in Hartlepool.

He was seen in the car on the A66 slip road the same day on April 22, Teesside Crown Court heard.

But when police boxed him in in traffic Thomson ram the vehicle before jumping out and running off.

Philip Morley, prosecuting, said: "It was the defendant who was the driver at the time.

“Officers manoeuvred the police vehicle so that their vehicle was in front of the defendant’s.

"As they did this the defendant was observed to remove his own seatbelt and drove his car at the police vehicle accelerating and made contact.”

Thomson got out of the car and ran off but was caught after a short chase on foot.The prosecution accepted the speed he rammed the police vehicle was low causing minor damage to it and the Seat.

Thomson, of Ryan Court, Hartlepool, had a small amount of cannabis on him and failed an initial drugs test at the police station but refused to give a blood sample.

He admitted aggravated vehicle taking, possession of a class B drug, having no driving licence or insurance and failing to give a sample.

The court heard only around six weeks earlier Thomson was given a 12-month suspended sentence for burglary.

Michael Cahill, mitigating, said Thomson had been dealing with mental health issues and said he had been working well with the probation service.

He said: “He’s getting older and he understands he needs to turn over a new leaf and sort out his mental health difficulties.

"He would wish for the opportunity to seek further support from probation in the community.”

Judge Timothy Stead accepted the incident was not a case of dangerous driving but said: “Nevertheless it was a deliberate act, damaging public property and the property of a private individual.”He jailed Thomson for ten months, including six months of the previously suspended sentence.

He was also banned from driving for 15 months.

Support your Mail and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest on Pools and new puzzles every day. With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.