Banned Driver Jailed Over Serious Crash in Bournemouth
5 April 2019, 14:44 | Updated: 5 April 2019, 14:48
A banned driver who failed to stop for officers in Bournemouth while driving a stolen car before crashing into a taxi as he tried to escape has been jailed.
38-year-old Gareth Picton, from Milton Road in Charminster pleasded guilty to dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance, causing damage to a vehicle and failing to stop for officers.
He also admitted a charge of making off from a petrol station without payment and burglary.
He was jailed for a total of two years, banned from driving for three years and told he would have to take an extended re-test before getting his licence back.
Sometime between Tuesday 8 January and Friday 18 January 2019 a grey Vauxhall Insignia was stolen from outside an address in Vale Road in Bournemouth.
At around 8.40am on Saturday 19 January 2019 a man drove it into the forecourt of a petrol station on Bath Road in the town, filled it with £40-worth of petrol and drove off without paying.
At around 9am on the same day officers in a marked police car spotted the same stolen car being driven with a space saver wheel on and damage to a wing mirror.
The officers followed the car and called for other units to attend to help stop the vehicle. It was followed onto Holdenhurst Road, along Wellington Road, Beechey Road and Charminster Road.
A marked police car pulled across Charminster Road and requested for the vehicle to stop. However, the stolen vehicle was driven around the police car and onto the pavement before it sped away reaching speeds of 55mph in a 30mph zone. Due to the nature of the driving and speed officers stopped following the vehicle.
A short time later the Vauxhall crashed into a silver Skoda Octavia taxi near to the junction with St Albans Crescent.
The taxi driver, a local man aged in his 40s, suffered a broken pelvis and ankle and spent 12 weeks receiving treatment in hospital and remains recovering at home. His 15-year-old female passenger sustained minor cuts.
When officers arrived at the scene both occupants had run off. An 18-year-old man was arrested in a nearby road.
The driver was identified as Gareth Picton and he was arrested later that day in Bournemouth town centre.
An 18-year-old woman from Bournemouth was arrested in connection with the incident an remains released under investigation.
Detective Constable Rob Roaf, of Bournemouth police, said:
"Gareth Picton was already banned from the road when he took the decision to drive a stolen car. When confronted by officers he failed to stop and drove at excessive speeds in an attempt to get away. His dangerous driving led to a collision, which left the driver with a serious injury.
"Dorset Police takes these matters extremely seriously and we will fully investigate these incidents to ensure offenders are charged and brought before the court."
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating the police pursuit and crash.
