Crooks fled Wolverhampton raid at 180mph, court told

Crooks fled from a bungled raid in Wolverhampton at speeds of up to 180mph in a stolen Audi linked to a series of smash-and-grab raids across the region, a jury heard.

The Audi RS5 was travelling so fast that a police helicopter struggled to keep pace with it, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

The £81,000 RS5 was linked to a string of raids across the West Midlands, Staffordshire, Shropshire and Warwickshire that netted tens of thousands of pounds worth of cigarettes.

It was allegedly driven on false plates and given a crude respray, which changed colour from silver to black, before a failed bid to open a cash machine at a garage at Penn in the early hours of January 13, the court heard.

A white van allegedly used by some of the gang had been bought six weeks earlier.

Mr Stefan Kolodynski, prosecuting, said the Audi was filmed on CCTV at the scene before the raiders arrived in the van. They tried to use oxyacetylene to burn open the cash machine but failed and fled.

The van was boxed in by squad cars soon afterwards and the driver was arrested along with two passengers.

The court heard the Audi then sped away from police driving a BMW and headed to the M6.

Mr Kolodynski said: "Despite the BMW being a powerful car, it was absolutely no match for the Audi." He added: "It was driven for over an hour before it eventually stopped. The driving was dangerous.

"During the chase it almost outran a police helicopter as it reached speeds nearing 180mph."

The car was dumped and the the two occupants fled, the jury heard.

Ben Westwood, aged 33, of Woden Road, Wednesfield, denies dangerous driving and conspiracy to burgle and steal.

The trial continues.

By John Scott