TWO MEN from South Birmingham who were involved in a dramatic high speed chase with the police have been jailed.
Daryl Gordon, from Francis Road in Cotteridge was driving the vehicle and passenger Kenny Field, 29, from Cranbourne Close in Frankley, were heading northbound on the M5 in a stolen Vauxhall Insignia.
The car sped away but was swiftly boxed-in by Central Motorway Police Group (CMPG) drivers on the A38 towards Birmingham.
Dashcam footage from a patrol car showed Gordon ? who was banned from driving in 2012 ? trying to ram his way out of the situation before being arrested as he clambered out of the driver’s window.
The police helicopter monitored the pursuit and was able to direct officers to another suspect who fled along the carriageway and into adjacent fields.
Checks carried out by the police revealed the registration number plates on the car had been cloned after the vehicle was taken in a car key burglary.
When officers searched the Insignia they found a magnet-tipped extendable pole hidden in the boot which was thought to have been used to fish out the keys from a property through its letterbox.
Unemployed Gordon admitted aggravated vehicle taking and dangerous driving and was jailed for 14 months at Birmingham Crown Court. He was also given a two-year driving ban. Field was jailed for 12 months for aggravated vehicle taking, while two other men aged 23 and 24 were found not guilty.
CMPG officer Mitch Darby was involved in the pursuit.
He said: “The pursuit lasted around 60 seconds – it was a great bit of teamwork to bring the car quickly and safely to a standstill.
“Gordon tried in vain to shunt my vehicle out of the way ? and caused quite a bit of damage ? but he was soon in handcuffs.
“One of the four men ran off but the police helicopter, using thermal imaging cameras, was able to direct us to him.
“There really was no place to run and no place to hide!”
Property from the stolen car, including business cards and a gym kit, was recovered from wasteland in Oldbury near the home address of the 24-year-old acquitted by the court.
