Jail for driver who sped 90mph through a Rugby housing estate before crashing into a car with child in it

And jailing Lamorne Treasure for a total of 18 months, a judge at Warwick Crown Court told him he could ‘easily have killed people’ during the pursuit in the middle of the day.

Treasure (32) of Francis Road, Erdington, Birmingham, who had pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified, dangerous driving and having no insurance, was also banned for 38 months.

Prosecutor Antonie Muller said that on February 11 police officers spotted Treasure in a Citroen car that had been reported stolen in Hollowell Way, Rugby, at 12.30 in the afternoon.

“The police followed the car for a while, and when he became aware they were interested in him, a chase ensued, driving in circles around a housing estate.

“He was going as high as 90 in the 30mph limit. It’s a residential area throughout, and there were pedestrians around, and on one occasion a pedestrian was about to step into the road.”

Mr Muller said that during the circular pursuit through the Brownsover estate, a number of other drivers had to take avoiding action, and he collided with two other vehicles.

Treasure first hit a Suzuki, and then went over a grass verge before crashing into the back of a Nissan Qashqai which had a young child in it who was fortunately unhurt.

The Citroen was written off in the collision, having caused £1,800 damage to the Suzuki and £2,300 damage to the Nissan, said Mr Muller.

The pursuing officers then blocked the Citroen in, at which Treasure got out and made off, but was caught and arrested.

And when he was interviewed Treasure, who had previous convictions for driving while disqualified, claimed the chase was the fault of the police.

Simon Hunka, defending, said there was little he could say about the offence, to which Judge Barry Berlin responded: “It’s appalling. I’m sure there have been worse cases, but it’s difficult to remember one.”

Mr Hunka explained that Treasure had been in Rugby to visit the mother of his twin children, and seeing that the wheel of her car needed fixing ‘he drove it to get it fixed, rather than getting someone to come to the car.’

That led to it being reported stolen, although Treasure’s not guilty plea to aggravated vehicle taking was accepted, and he had panicked when he realised he was going to be stopped.

Jailing Treasure, Judge Berlin told him: “It was a built-up area, you would have known that. 30 appears on the roads in many places, and you were doing around 90 on many occasions.

“People were around, pedestrians were around. You put many lives at risk. You could easily have killed people.”