Man jailed after leading police on high-speed chase through Kenilworth

A driver led the police on a dangerous high-speed chase through Kenilworth at up to 70mph before hitting a kerb near the castle and crashing.
Warwickshire Justice CentreWarwickshire Justice Centre
Warwickshire Justice Centre

And after hearing that Curtis Middler was subject to a community order at the time for driving while disqualified, a judge at Warwick Crown Court jailed him for 14 months.

Middler (23) of Hall Green Road, Coventry, had pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, having no insurance, driving without a full licence and failing to stop for the police.

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Prosecutor Lee Marklew said that on February 8 the police saw a Vauxhall Corsa in Stoneleigh Road near Kenilworth, and began to follow it when a check revealed it was uninsured.

Warwickshire Justice CentreWarwickshire Justice Centre
Warwickshire Justice Centre

The Corsa, driven by Middler, with his girlfriend in the car, continued along Bericote Road towards the traffic island at the junction with the A452 Leamington to Kenilworth road.

The road was wet, but when the officers, who were in an unmarked car, put on their blue light to get him to stop, Middler sped away, reaching up to 70 in a 40mph limit as he headed towards Kenilworth.

He was still doing up to 60mph in the 30mph zone, almost losing control of the car and going onto the opposite side of the road, as he approached the traffic island at the junction with Warwick Road.

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Middler then drove through the town and along Borrowell Lane, but when he reached Castle Road he lost control on a sharp right-hand bend and hit a kerbstone and came to a stop.

He was arrested and immediately admitted he had no insurance and only a provisional licence, and he tested positive for cannabis which he admitted he had smoked earlier in the day.

Mr Marklew added that Middler had been in trouble since his early teens for dishonesty, as well as a conviction in 2016 for having no insurance, and at the time was subject to a community order for driving while disqualified.

Middler’s barrister suggested that he could be dealt with by a suspended prison sentence.

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But jailing Middler, Judge Anthony Potter told him: “At no stage while you were being pursued by the police car did you pause to think about anyone else.

“You didn’t even give a thought to your girlfriend who was in the passenger seat of the car.

“It was only when you crashed your car on a sharp bend opposite Kenilworth Castle that you came to a halt.

“You didn’t have a licence, you were not insured, and your driving occurred in busy built-up areas, and you had taken drugs and you were subject to a community order imposed for driving offences. The sentence must be immediate.”