The driver of a car which got wedged in a narrow pedestrian tunnel as he fled from police during a high-speed chase has been jailed for 18 months.
At around 1.10am on June 15 of this year, John Paul Jones, 27, was driving along Brynhyfryd when he was stopped by police.
Jones, a disqualified driver formerly of Lansbury Park, Caerphilly, initially stopped his car but as officers approached it he sped off.
A seven-minute car chase then followed, reaching speeds of up to 78mph. The car headed along The Crescent in Trecenydd and eventually down a narrow footpath underneath a railway tunnel towards Bryncenydd.
The chase came to an end when the car got wedged inside the tunnel. Jones later tested positive for cocaine.
Jones was charged with dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, disqualified driving, failing to provide a blood sample and driving without insurance.
At a hearing in Cardiff Crown Court today, Wednesday, November 16, Jones was jailed for 18 months and given a further driving ban of four years and nine months.
PC Matt Richley, of Gwent Police, said: “John Paul Jones, a disqualified driver from the Caerphilly area failed to stop for officers from the West Area Support Unit.
“He proceeded to drive in such a manner that he not only put members of the public at risk but also himself, his passengers and the police.
“The pursuit of John Paul Jones drew to a close in a moment of sheer recklessness and stupidity when he decided to drive down a footpath and get himself wedged in a railway tunnel.
“Upon arrest, John Paul Jones provided a positive reading for cocaine.
“Today he was sentenced in Cardiff Crown Court where he received an 18-month custodial sentence and a further four years and nine months disqualification.”
