A stolen car was driven at crazy speeds along the wrong side of both a major road and a motorway before crashing head-on with a police car.
The Ford Fiesta car was being driven by Neil Tootle, with Kane Ashcroft in the front passenger seat, both of whom appeared for sentencing at Liverpool Crown Court today (Monday).
The incident dated back to the early hours of July 16 2019, when a patrol car began following a vehicle being driven along Mill Lane in Wavertree.
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Jonathan Rogers, prosecuting, said the stolen car began speeding up in a bid to evade the patrol car.
Mr Rogers said: "The stolen car was driven dangerously and at excessive speed, including being driven on the wrong side of the road, going through red lights, and reaching speeds of up to 60mph along Edge Lane."
Police car video footage showed the Ford Fiesta heading on to the M62, still on the wrong side of the road and in the face of oncoming traffic.
Mr Rogers said Tootle had switched off the lights of the car and went over the crest of a hill, forcing oncoming motorists to take evasive action.
Still on the wrong side of the road, the Ford Fiesta left the motorway at Junction 5, when it smashed head-on into one of the pursuing police cars on the roundabout.
The officer driving the patrol car suffered long-term injuries after being trapped by the car's airbag, while the female officer in the car also suffered a broken rib as a result of the impact.
Both Tootle and Ashcroft bailed from the stolen vehicle after the crash and tried to hide in undergrowth, but were caught shortly afterwards.
They were found to be in possession of a key programming device and steering lock keys, amongst other devices used to steal cars.
The court heard both Tootle and Ashcroft had a long history of previous offending related to car theft, burglary, and acquisitive crime.
Both Tootle and Ashcroft pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking.
Tootle, of Atheldene Road, Walton, appeared by videolink from prison after failing to appear at a previous hearing.
Lloyd Morgan, defending Tootle, 40, said the car thief had an 11-year-old daughter and had been caring for his elderly parents, but had been in a "revolving door in and out of prison."
Mike O'Brien, defending Ashcroft - who was on unconditional bail - said the 33-year-old, of Cedardale Road, Walton, now had "some stability in his life" and his offences were less serious as he was the passenger and not the driver.
Mr O'Brien added: "He describes himself as a family man. He has a young daughter and a stepson with difficulties, and has expressed his remorse, stupidity and regret."
The Recorder, Simon Parrington, told them: "This was a thoroughly dangerous exercise. Two police officers were injured, one quite seriously."
As the driver of the vehicle, Judge Parrington sentenced Tootle to 14 months in prison, and disqualified him from driving for three-and-a-half years.
The passenger, Ashcroft, was sentenced to nine months, suspended for 18 months, and was also disqualified for two years.
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