Jailed: 'Appalling' danger driver stole council truck and sprayed fire extinguisher at police during chase

Christopher Sargent, aged 51, has been jailed and handed a lengthy road ban after his "appalling" behaviour in chases in Shropshire and Walsall.

Shrewsbury Crown Court was shown dash-cam footage of Sargent tearing down the hard shoulder of the A5 in Shropshire and throwing objects out of the window at pursuing police cars, as well as helicopter CCTV of him trying to get away from police after "ramming" a police car in Bloxwich.

Prosecutor Charles Crinnion told how Sargent stole a Shropshire Council tipper truck in Sundorne Road, Shrewsbury after the keys were left inside by a maintenance worker at about 1.45pm on January 22 this year.

Sargent, who had a male passenger in the £23,000 Renault. drove off from the scene, but it was not long before police caught him up on the A5 heading towards Telford.

Two police cars pursued Sargent, who could be seen on one of the officer's on-board cameras to be spraying gas, making it difficult for police to see where he was.

He took the slip road off the M54 at Junction 6 for Ketley to try and shake off the police, but they stayed close behind as he rejoined the motorway.