Ex-Wolves youth footballer avoids prison after 110mph M54 chase

Jacob Rammell, 20, of Moathouse Lane East, Wednesfield, Wolverhampton, sped around Shrewsbury and then on to Telford when he reached speeds of 110mph, ran a red light and eventually ended up crashing into a ditch.

At Shrewsbury Crown Court on Tuesday, Judge Anthony Lowe admitted the offence of dangerous driving had passed the custody threshold, however he reduced the sentence to a 12-month community order.

The judge said: "We read in the papers how this type of chase can lead to something tragic.

"It puts the police in real difficulty deciding whether to chase or not.

"You admitted it was disgraceful and on two occasions something more serious could have happened."

Prosecutor Simon Parry said that at 11.45pm on December 23, a grey Mercedes was spotted between the A5 and A49 in Shrewsbury, doing 100mph.

Police followed the car around Sundorne, to Battefield, then it headed in a loop back to Sundorne.

At some stages Rammell, was going 60mph in a 30mph zone, before he moved on to the A5 towards Telford, and then the M54.

Crashed

It was here he hit top speeds of 110mph, and while on the M54 blue lights were used by police in pursuit.

Rammell pulled up a slip road and ran through a red light, going around the roundabout.

He crashed into a crash barrier before carrying on, and exiting on another slip road and driving towards Hollingswood and Priorslee.

Eventually the car left the carriageway and crashed into a ditch and he was arrested at 1.11am.

A passenger in the car told police he told Ramell to stop but he refused.

In a police interview Rammell called his behaviour disgraceful, and apologised for his actions.

Robert Edwards, defending, said Rammell panicked when the blue lights came on, because he had never had a run-in with the police and realised he had done 100mph at one point.

Mr Edwards said Rammell had dreams of becoming a footballer, playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers as a youngster, before moving on to Shrewsbury Town when he was eventually released.

Mr Edwards added his client was a young man who deserved a chance.

Rammell was also ordered to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work, and was banned from driving for two years.