Alresford man disqualified from driving after leading police on a chase (From Hampshire Chronicle)

Alresford man disqualified from driving after leading police on a chase

5:10pm Tuesday 22nd November 2011 in Alresford

A DRIVER who took police on a chase along country roads near Alresford has been disqualified from driving, a court heard.

Mark Long pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and driving whilst disqualified on the A32, A272 and surrounding unclassified roads.

Sharon Douglass, prosecuting, said a police officer on a motorcycle was dealing with another driver near a roundabout at the A32 on August 9 when at around 6pm Long’s Vauxhall Astra drove by and he saw a problem with the licence on the vehicle.

Winchester Crown Court heard how the police officer followed Long, 30, of The Scimitars, Fareham, along the A32 towards Fareham and despite the office activating his lights then siren, Long did not stop so a pursuit began, mainly on single track roads.

The officer followed Long on the A32 to Alton and saw skid marks at junctions and signs of burning rubber, said Ms Douglass.

“There was heavy braking, the back of the vehicle was snaking around,” she said.

Police support had been called in and a police vehicle came in front of Long’s car to stop him – by this point he had gone on to the A272, heading towards Bramdean and was on Wood Lane, the court was told.

The Astra slammed on the brakes, but there was some contact with the police vehicle, the court heard.

Ms Douglass said Long’s driving included snaking around on the road, entering junctions on the wrong side of the road and driving at 60 miles an hour in 30 mile an hour limits.

Police deployed a stinger trap at the New Cheriton crossroads and Long was detained shortly afterwards near Kilmeston.

A video recording from a police car following Long was shown to the court.

Recorder of Salisbury Andrew Barnett sentenced Long to eight months in prison suspended for 12 months on the first count, four months in prison suspended for 12 months to run concurrently.

He was ordered to do 180 hours unpaid work, pay £780 costs and was disqualified from driving for three years, with an extended driving test at the end.