Driver jailed after two dangerous police chases in North Wales

A Wrexham man has been jailed for 30 months after leading police on two separate high-speed chases across North Wales, weaving through traffic at up to 80mph in 20mph zones.

Thomas Williams, 38, of Cristionydd, Penycae, overtook vehicles on blind bends, crossed solid white lines and sped recklessly through Denbighshire and Wrexham over a period of just nine weeks.

The first pursuit began on November 6 last year, when officers spotted Williams driving a Vauxhall Meriva without insurance on the A525 Upper Denbigh Road in St Asaph at around 4.05pm. He fled from police, weaving in and out of traffic before a stinger device was deployed in Denbigh. Williams continued driving to Ruthin, eventually abandoning his vehicle near Ruthin-Pwllglas Golf Club – some 15 miles from where the chase had started.

He was arrested and bailed, but roughly nine weeks later on January 17 this year, police again identified Williams behind the wheel of an uninsured vehicle – this time a Ford Focus – in the Acton area of Wrexham. Officers pursued him for six or seven miles before he turned down a country lane, where he was eventually tasered and arrested.

The court also heard that between the two incidents, Williams had been handed a suspended prison sentence at North Staffordshire Magistrates’ Court on December 12 for driving whilst disqualified and without insurance.

Williams admitted two counts of dangerous driving and two counts of driving whilst disqualified at Mold Crown Court.

His barrister, Richard Edwards, described his client’s behaviour during the chases as “idiotic”, saying the father of three was ashamed and embarrassed. He attempted to explain Williams’ actions by revealing that police had previously believed his brother was hiding at their mother’s home. His brother later died in an accidental drowning at Pant-glas reservoir in Penycae. In a separate incident, Williams had been threatened by a man who was with his former partner and felt police had not done enough when he reported it.

However, Judge His Honour Simon Mills was unsparing in his assessment, branding the driving “incredibly dangerous”.

He told Williams: “Do not put yourself in a position where you were responsible for a tragedy because you made a selfish choice to drive a car in an outrageous and dangerous way.

“If you feel the system has let you down you must not inflict those feelings of rage and disappointment on ordinary members of the public who bear no responsibility whatsoever for what has happened to you – all of which I accept.”

Williams was sentenced to 12 months and 14 months consecutively for the dangerous driving offences, with additional terms of four months and two months for driving whilst disqualified – the second running concurrently.

He was also disqualified from driving for five years and three months, adjusted to reflect his time in custody.