Bolton: Dangerous driver crashed twice in 100mph chase

Coleby Smith, 19, led officers on a brief intense chase through Bolton on Saturday, May 7 last year before eventually being arrested after trying to make of from his crashed car on foot.

But Bolton Crown Court heard how after a two-minute chase he first crashed into another car waiting at traffic lights on Hulton Lane and then hit another car on St Helens Road, badly damaging both.

Niamh McGinty, prosecuting, said: “Helpfully a member of the public filmed the driver, the defendant, as he fled the scene.”

Ms McGinty added that Smith, of Knott Lane, Bolton, was arrested soon after thanks to police being able to identify him from the footage and was found to have had a small amount of cannabis on him as well as having no licence or insurance.

The case was heard at Bolton Crown Court (Image: Newsquest)

Interviewed by police Smith, who has no previous convictions, quickly admitted his guilty and when brought before the magistrates court pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving without insurance, driving without a licence and failure to stop after an accident.

He also pleaded guilty to possession of a Class B drug for the small amount of cannabis.

Ms McGinty said: “He told police he would have felt devastated if someone had been hurt.”

Adam White, defending, accepted that Smith’s behaviour had been extremely hazardous.

He said: “This was clearly reckless and extremely dangerous driving and but for a stroke of luck people could have been seriously hurt or worse.”

But he reminded the court that the chase had only been extremely brief and that Smith had not committed any other offences since his arrest last May.

Mr White said: “This is the first time he’s found himself before the courts and he’s determined that this is going to be the last time as well.”

Mr White said that the young defendant felt ‘devastated’ by the damage he had caused.

Judge Tom Gilbart told Smith that had he been older then his actions could well have earned him a prison sentence and reminded him about the impact he had had on innocent bystanders that day.

He said: “That could have had, as you recognise, much more serious consequences.”

He added: “It caused real inconvenience, financial loss and distress to people who had done absolutely nothing to merit these things happening to them.”

But he noted that Smith was classed as being at low risk of reoffending and had shown positive attitudes towards education and work.

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Judge Gilbart also acknowledged how long Smith had had to wait before his case came to court after repeated delays which had not been his fault.

He banned the 19-year-old from driving for three years and sentenced him to a 12 month community order which will include 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 150 hours of unpaid work.

Smith will also have to pay £1,000 each to the two people whose cars he damaged.