Willenhall tourist jailed for outrunning police in seaside chase

Peter O’Neil, from Willenhall, and his passenger tried to run away from the car with items which had been stolen from a gardener’s van in Paignton earlier in the evening but were arrested by police.

He was found with a lock-picking device made from twisted wires and refused to give a sample of blood which would have shown whether he had any drugs in his system.

O’Neil and his partner had been driven to Devon by two friends in a car which had been stolen from the Midlands. Another man was seen on dashcam stealing a hedge trimmer and a leaf blower and driving away with O’Neil as a passenger.

He took over behind the wheel shortly before the car was spotted by police in South Devon and drove so dangerously during a short chase that the pursuing officers were forced to let him go.

He dumped the car outside the Paignton Sailing Club on South Quay and was seen on their CCTV getting out of the driver’s seat and going to collect the stolen tools from the boot before trying to run off.

O’Neil, aged 39, of Mill Street, Willenhall, and previously of admitted dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and with no insurance, refusing a sample of blood, handling stolen goods and going equipped for theft.

He was jailed for a year and banned from driving for two years after his release. by Judge David Evans at Exeter Crown Court.

He told him: “You were evading the police probably because you had stolen goods on board and you knew you were disqualified and had no insurance. You refusal to give a sample may indicate another reason not to stop.

“Thankfully, no damage was done to anyone or anything but the risk was very great. Your over confidence was no guarantee that the risk was not going to come to pass.”

Miss Beth Rickerby, prosecuting, said police tried to stop the car which O’Neil was driving because it had been used in the theft of tools from a gardener’s van and it was seen in Torbay at 9.50 pm on September 30 this year.

She said: “The vehicle failed to stop, drove at over the speed limit, ran red lights and forced oncoming traffic to take evasive action to avoid collisions. It was damp and the only light was from street lamps.

“The police officer stopped the pursuit because of concern about the risk to the public and the car was located shortly afterwards outside the sailing club. Two males left it and were pursued.

“O Neil was arrested next to the car and found with two wires twisted together. CCTV showed he had got out of the driver’s seat.”

He has previous convictions for 67 offences including dangerous driving and nine for driving while disqualified.

Mr Paul Dentith, defending, said he accepted a lift from a friend because he and his partner wanted a break in Devon but did not realise the car was stolen. He had not been involved in the theft of the tools and had only started driving shortly before the police spotted the car.