PTSD torture victim spared jail after dangerous police chase

Simran Singh had no idea the occupants were two police officers because it was dark, their car was unmarked and did not have flashing blue lights nor a siren, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

The 22-year-old put his VW Golf through a series of dangerous manoeuvres that confirmed he was being chased, it was said.

He went through several red lights without stopping in Wolverhampton and sped over a humpback bridge in Lower Horseley Fields so fast all four wheels of the car came off the road, maintained Mr Simon Hanns, prosecuting.

Then a marked police car joined the pursuit in Willenhall Road, Portobello, and Singh came to a halt as soon as he was ordered to stop by its crew shortly before midnight on October 27.

Torture

He was arrested and taken to a police station where he refused to give a blood or breath sample, pushed one officer in the chest and left another with a cut hand before spitting in the cells, continued the prosecutor.

But this behaviour could be explained by the severe case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from which he was suffering following the kidnap in June, said an expert.

“It was an extremely serious incident of mistaken identity which affected him both psychologically and physically,” revealed Mr Oliver Woolhouse, defending.

He continued: “The kidnappers bundled him into the boot of a car, drove off and he was then tortured at their hands after which he needed skin grafts for acid burns and repairs to fractured bones.”

Since then the defendant had twice been admitted to hospital as a psychiatric patient and it was confirmed that suspects allegedly involved in the kidnapping were facing prosecution, the court heard.

Suspended sentence

Singh, from Walsall, admitted dangerous driving, assaulting police, driving while disqualified, refusing to give a specimen and criminal damage.

He was given a 14-month jail term suspended for 18 months with a four-month night time curfew and a three-year driving ban.

Judge Dean Kershaw said: “I accept you didn’t know it was a police car and made several moves to check that it was following you, the result of which would obviously have concerned you.

"It was a dreadful piece of driving but when a marked car got involved you stopped immediately.

"I am satisfied that the way you behaved at the police station was also linked to what happened to you in June when you were tortured, had acid used on you and were beaten. A psychiatric report confirms this."