A dangerous driver who led police on a high-speed pursuit reaching speeds of up to 120mph before colliding with a police vehicle and seriously injuring an officer has been jailed for three years and two months
Shaun Orchard aged 23 of Neville Street, Hazel Grove was also handed a five year and six month disqualification after being found guilty of aggravated vehicle taking and causing serious injury by dangerous driving at a previous hearing.
The court heard that
police received a 999 call reporting that Orchard had taken a man’s Mercedes car without his consent in Heaton Norris, Stockport. The caller reported that Orchard was drunk.
Officers quickly deployed across Stockport and at around 3:50am, a road policing officer located the Mercedes on Crookiley Way.
The car was seen driving erratically and as officers followed it, Orchard gestured at them from the driver’s window before joining the M60.
Once on the motorway, Orchard reached speeds of up to 120mph. He later exited at junction 24 and continued driving dangerously along Hyde Road – a 30mph zone – at speeds of around 100mph.
As Orchard approached the traffic lights on Hengist Street at the junction with Hyde Road they were displaying red and had been for some time.
As the officer approached the traffic lights on Hyde Road, the traffic lights began to phase through to red. Orchard drove through the red light and collided with the police vehicle.
The impact caused the police vehicle to strike a nearby building, while the Mercedes crashed into a brick wall.
Officers immediately detained Orchard at the scene. Both Orchard and the injured officer were taken to Manchester Royal Infirmary.
Orchard was interviewed the following day at Stockport police station, where he provided no comment.
In a powerful victim impact statement read out in court, the victim said: “Orchard made deliberate choices that day. Choices that showed a complete disregard for the safety and lives of everybody else on the road.
“In trying to save themselves from the consequences of their own actions, they caused catastrophic consequences for me that I will carry for the rest of my life.
“The defendant made abhorrently selfish decisions and those decisions have left me with life-changing physical injuries and psychological trauma that I will carry for the rest of my life. While the defendant will move on quickly from this, I will continue living with the consequences every single day for the rest of mine.”
