A man sped the wrong way down a busy road to get away from police after already being disqualified from driving twice.
Cardiff Crown Court heard other motorists had to brake sharply and swerve to avoid a head-on collision with Craig Gillatt as he accelerated in the wrong direction on Grand Avenue in Ely, Cardiff .
The court heard the incident occurred at around 9.35pm on August 25, when Gillatt was driving a Ford Fiesta in Ely .
Prosecutor David Pugh said a police officer decided to stop Gillatt to check his documents. The officer signalled with his blue lights, but instead of pulling over, the defendant sped up to 40mph in the 30mph zone.
The prosecutor said Gillatt, 24, from St David’s Crescent, drove straight over a junction with Green Farm Road without stopping, before accelerating to 50mph.
'Two drivers had to brake and swerve to avoid a collision'
The court heard he then drove over the grass verge between the two carriageways and sped away from the police car on the wrong side of the road.
Mr Pugh said: “Two members of the public had to brake and swerve to avoid a head-on collision.”
He said the dangerous driving occurred over about half a mile, before Gillatt hit a kerb, bringing the car to a halt.
The prosecutor said Gillatt got out of the car and sat in the passenger seat, but accepted he was the driver when interviewed by police. He also accepted he had previously been disqualified on two occasions.
Gillatt was granted bail, but less than two weeks later, at around 5.30pm on September 7, a police officer recognised him driving a Transit van on Cowbridge Road West.
The court heard he again swapped places with a passenger, but later accepted he had been driving.
Mr Pugh said Gillatt had nine convictions for 16 offences. He was disqualified from driving in May 2015 for driving under the influence of drugs.
A few months later he was sent to prison for driving while disqualified and without insurance.
He was convicted again in April 2016 of driving while disqualified, driving without insurance and failing to stop.
Guilty plea
Mr Pugh said when these offences were committed, Gillatt was the subject of a community order imposed in June for failing to stop, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.
David Elias, defending, stressed that no one was injured and that his client pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.
Judge Patrick Curran QC noted the pattern of repeat offending.
He told the defendant: “You will find that the sentences get longer and longer and the only way to avoid that is to stop committing these offences.”
Gillatt admitted dangerous driving, as well as two counts of driving while disqualified and two counts of driving without insurance.
He was sentenced to a total of 10 months in prison and disqualified from driving for four years.
see-http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/driver-who-sped-wrong-way-11940123
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