Bolton: Danger driver 'buried his head in the sand'

Zach Allred, 26, had led police on a brief but intense high speed chase in July 2019, reaching speeds of up to 90mph.

After his arrest he was given a suspended sentence but was brought back before Bolton Crown Court after missing two phone appointments with probation officers.

Gwen Henshaw, prosecuting, said: “In short, Mr Allred was complying with his order without difficulty and then just stopped.

“He stopped attempting to comply with probation services.

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

In the summer of 2019, Allred, formerly of Valpy Avenue, Bolton, had driven a Renault Megane at speeds of up to 90mph in a bid to escape police after having taken cocaine and with no insurance or proper licence.

He abandoned the car on Cox Green Road in Egerton before trying to escape on foot but was arrested soon after.

At the time, Allred, who has no previous convictions, was give a sentence of 14 months, suspended for 24 months and hit by a four month curfew.

He was also ordered to complete 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

But, Ms Henshaw explained, he had failed to keep to phone appointments with probation services on June 23 and July 1, 2021 and then failed to attend court later that same year.

Allred eventually handed himself in on Monday, February 6 this year and admitted his breaches before the court.

Andrew Costello, defending, pointed out that Allred’s original offense went back all the way to 2019 and that he had not committed any further crimes since then.

He told the court that Allred had struggled with drugs and alcohol and had struggled to keep to his commitments while he was also living an unstable existence and "sofa surfing" at that time.

Mr Costello said: “He buried his head in the sand.”

But he also added that Allred had achieved a degree of stability in his life since then.

He had already completed his four-month curfew period with 12 of his 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days and had since found new work with a company that repairs care homes.

Mr Costello also said the court should keep in mind that Allred had handed himself in because he wanted his case dealt with.

He said: “He simply did not want to be walking about the streets knowing about this warrant and that he could be arrested by any officer.”

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Judge Nicholas Clarke KC agreed to delay making a decision on Allred’s fate so that more evidence could be found about his new job.

He said: “That will allow us to know where he was and more about him and once we’ve got the evidence that might allow me to give him something other than the six month sentence I’ve been considering.”

Judge Clarke ruled that Allred will be subject to a curfew between 8pm and 7am until the next hearing.

He set a date for the sentencing on March 23 this year.