Car sinks into lake after 90mph police chase

Harry Mason tried to claim his car had been stolen before confessing to being behind the wheel

A man who led police on a 90mph (144kmh) car chase before smashing a Grade II listed Victorian shelter and plunging into a lake claimed his vehicle had been stolen in an unsuccessful bid to avoid prosecution.

Harry Mason, 29, managed to escape the Mercedes as it sank in Southport's Marine Lake on 1 February 2025, and then called police from his home to report it stolen.

Liverpool Crown Court heard the damage to the shelter would cost between £90,000 and £150,000 to repair.

Mason, of The Mallards in Southport, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and intending to pervert the course of justice and was handed a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, alongside an 18-month driving ban.

The court heard Merseyside Police officers on patrol spotted Mason driving poorly in the town in the early hours of the morning.

When he realised he was being followed he drove off at high speed in a 30mph zone and the officers lost sight of his Mercedes.

Harry Mason caused damage estimated at between £90,000 and £150,000

Mason confessed that he was really responsible for crashing the car after forensic experts came to his house to take fingerprints.

Senior prosecutor Rachel Worthington, from the Crown Prosecution Service said it was unclear what caused Mason to drive like he did but described it as a "night of madness".

A statement from Sefton Council, read out in court, described the fact nobody was killed as a "miracle".

The Victorian shelter is Grade II listed

"The damage will be repaired and this lovely, ornate shelter will once again be cherished by the community," the statement read.

"It is just unfortunate that precious staff time and resources are having to be diverted following an event that should never have happened but did, due to the stupid actions of one selfish individual who clearly did not care about his fellow citizens and the privilege of living in such a beautiful town as Southport."

Mason's suspended sentence order included 240 hours of unpaid work and a four-month electronically monitored curfew keeping him indoors between 20:00 and 06:00.