Driver jailed for breaking suspended sentence

Jonathan Walsh broke his suspended sentence and was jailed for nearly three years

A banned driver who crashed into police cars during a motorway chase in Cornwall has been jailed for two years and eight months after breaking his suspended sentence.

Jonathan Walsh, 38, of Knot Court, Stratton, near Bude, was given a suspended sentence after he wrote off a friend’s Audi Q7 during a police chase and for carrying out a shoplifting raid.

Exeter Crown Court heard Walsh breached his suspended sentence by breaking a restraining order from his ex-partner and for driving whilst disqualified - crashing a car in North Cornwall after having a seizure.

Walsh admitted both offences and his sentence included the activation of 20 months of the two-year suspended sentence, which he received from a different judge at the same court in March for the original offences.

On 22 March, Walsh was given the suspended sentence as a final chance after the court heard he stole a friend's car from his home in Bude, drove it to Swindon and carried out a shoplifting raid on a sports shop with two other people.

A police car chase ensued when he drove back to Cornwall at a speed of more than 120 mph (193 km/h) before police boxed in the car and smashed the windows to try to get him out.

Walsh reversed into an armed response vehicle causing £8,200 damage, hit a second police car and nearly hit an officer and wrote off two other cars while trying to escape.

Walsh has 22 previous convictions for taking cars, and six for driving while disqualified.

'A shocking record'

On Friday, the judge told him he had been "making some progress on the suspended sentence" but chose to ignore his court orders.

He said: "You are a manipulative man and manipulated your former partner and the probation service.

"You have a shocking record for driving and this offence of driving while disqualified was committed during a suspended sentence for serious driving matters."

The defence said Walsh had been doing well on a drug rehabilitation order and the probation service were willing to continue working with him if he was allowed to return to the community.