John Robinson (Image: Gwent Police)
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A career criminal with nearly 100 offences to his name has been sentenced to 12 months in prison after he drove away from officers at a filling station forecourt while wearing handcuffs and with his vehicle doors still open.
John Robinson, 48, of The Heights, Charlton, in south-east London, admitted dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified, and possession of an imitation firearm in a public place at Newport Crown Court. The offences took place on Sunday, November 30 last year.
The forecourt
Police officers spotted Robinson at the Asda filling station in Cwmbran after noticing him behaving suspiciously. When they approached his Mitsubishi Outlander, they discovered he was carrying what appeared to be a realistic pistol. The weapon was later confirmed to be a dysfunctional imitation firearm.
A male passenger was also inside the vehicle at the time.
As officers attempted to remove Robinson from the Outlander, he accelerated away from the forecourt with his doors open. One officer was struck by a door during the escape.
The arrest
Robinson was tracked down shortly afterwards at Cwmbran Stadium, where he was taken into custody. He appeared before the court via video link from HMP Belmarsh, the high-security prison in south-east London.
Prosecutor Laurence Jones told the court: “The defendant told officers how hard it was driving in handcuffs.”
Criminal history
The court heard Robinson had accumulated 37 previous convictions for a total of 98 offences over the course of his criminal career. In 2013, he received a 10-year prison sentence for robbery and firearms offences. He had also previously been jailed for four months and handed a 44-month driving ban for dangerous driving.
Mitigation
Emma Harris, defending, argued that the period of dangerous driving had been brief. She told the court: “The defendant panicked and he made a series of poor decisions.”
Robinson, a grandfather and father of five who the court heard had recently lost his mother, addressed Judge Daniel Williams directly.
He said: “I didn’t come to Wales to commit any crimes. I really want to say I’m sorry. I didn’t have any balaclavas or anything.”
Sentencing
Judge Williams told Robinson: “This was highly dangerous driving and you tried to evade the police.”
Robinson was jailed for 12 months and will be subject to a three-year driving ban following his release from custody. He must also pass an extended retest before being permitted to drive again and was ordered to pay a victim surcharge.
