6:00pm Wednesday 1st September 2010
By Wendy Barlow
A TEEN with a long driving record has won his freedom after a police chase which ended with him being dragged from a stolen vehicle by officers.
Burnley Crown Court heard how Peter Cunliffe, 19, had gone at speed down a small residential street, where children were playing, at 4.30pm.
He then “turned violently” into another street, without thought for the safety of others.
Cunliffe, who was bann-ed at the time, has already clocked up four convictions for disqualified driving, three for dangerous driving, and one for aggravated vehicle taking.
He admitted taking a vehicle without consent, driving without due care and attention, banned driving, and no insurance.
The defendant, of William Street, Clayton-le-Moors, first went to detention in 2006.
He was given an 18-month community order, with 100 hours unpaid work, a three-month curfew, and 18 months supervision.
Cunliffe, who had served 116 days on remand, was banned for two years.
David Macro, prosecuting, told the court the Citroen Saxo Cunliffe took belonged to a man who had parked it in Clement Street, in Accri- ngton, on May 5.
At 4.30pm, an off-duty police officer saw it being driven in Blackburn and knew Cunliffe, who was at the wheel, was banned.
He alerted a colleague and the defendant was seen exiting the M65 with two passengers, one the car owner’s son, in the car.
Mr Macro said officers followed with their blue lights flashing and horns sounding, trying to get the defendant to pull over.
He didn't stop and drove down a residential street, where there were children and adults about and many parked cars.
The defendant eventually got stuck in station-ary traffic and was revving the engine and blast-ing his horn continually.
An officer ran over and smashed the driver’s window. Cunliffe refused to get out and had to be pulled from the vehicle by police.
The prosecutor said the defendant had appeared in court in April, two weeks before the offences, and had been banned for 12 months.
He was the subject of two disqualifications.
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