Driver of stolen bike in 95mph police chase spared immediate prison sentence
A biker who reached speeds of up to 95mph on a stolen, high-performance motorcycle during a police chase through the Black Country has been spared an immediate stint behind bars.
Leon Barratt, aged 22, drove on the wrong side of the road, went straight over an island and only narrowly missed an oncoming lorry before he eventually crashed into a roundabout during the pursuit on March 23 last year.
Wolverhampton Crown Court heard that unemployed Barratt was spotted by police driving at 75mph in a 50mph zone along the Black Country New Road in Wednesbury at 9.18pm.
He was on an orange KTM 390 superbike worth £4,500 that had been stolen from the driveway of a house in Tipton earlier that month.
Mr David Bennett, prosecuting, said that when an officer put on his lights and started following Barratt he accelerated to 95mph.
"The defendant continued on to a roundabout but ended up going onto the grass area," he said.
The court was told Barratt turned onto Armstrong Way and continued to travel at excessive speed towards Walsall.
"At this point the officer felt things were getting too dangerous and stopped the pursuit," added Mr Bennett.
"The defendant was driving on the wrong side of the road as he approached an island and narrowly missed a lorry. He then crashed the bike onto an island."
In video footage shown to the court, Barratt was seen attempting to run away from the scene before he was apprehended by police.
The court heard the motorbike was fitted with a numberplate that was stolen from a caravan in Tipton. Barratt was said not to be directly connected to the theft of the motorbike or the numberplate.
Miss Amy Cooke, defending, said that Barratt's circumstances had changed since he committed the offence.
"He now has a girlfriend who has become a stabilising feature in his life," she added. "He would like to relocate to live with her in King's Lynn, separating himself from the group he has been in trouble with in the past."
Barratt, of Willenhall Road, Bilston, admitted dangerous driving and driving without either a licence or insurance.
He was given a six month prison sentence suspended for 18 months and ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work.
He was also banned from driving for 18 months.
Judge Andrew Lockhart QC said Barratt had been 'showing off' and warned him of the dangers of 'conducting speed trials' on the roads.
"Any one of the road users you approached at speed could have been killed. Mercifully no one was hurt."
