Quarry worker receives prison sentence following police pursuit through two counties
A QUARRY worker has been jailed for 14 months and banned from driving for two years after embarking on a 37-mile rampage through parts of Norfolk and Suffolk in a 30-tonne articulated dumptruck (ADT).
Forty-year-old Nicholas Churchill was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court on Friday 5 February 2016 following charges of dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking without consent, criminal damage, driving whilst unfit through drugs and possession of amphetamines.
The incident happened on Monday 20 July 2015 and involved six police cars and a police helicopter in a two-hour slow-speed pursuit on the A11 and A134, before the ADT eventually came to a halt in Brandon.
Three police cars were struck by the ADT during the pursuit, causing an estimated £28,000 of damage. It is understood the incident was triggered by an argument between the worker and his employers over a faulty air-conditioning system.
Welcoming the custodial sentence, investigating officer DC Andy Vinsen from Norwich CID said: ‘Churchill got into the vehicle after an argument with his employers knowing he was unfit to drive and under the influence of drugs.
‘It’s a miracle no one was injured when the vehicle was driven on main roads through heavy traffic, which could have easily led to an innocent member of the public being hurt.
‘During the pursuit, Churchill purposefully rammed into three police cars. Thankfully, no officers were in the cars at the point of impact, but this could have ended very differently.
‘I am pleased that Churchill has been given a custodial sentence, which demonstrates that this is a serious matter and the courts will not tolerate such despicable behaviour.’
