Cocaine dad leads police on 110mph chase because ‘wanted man’ in car

A dad led police on a 110mph car chase, then blamed his passengers.

Robert Porter engaged in what one officer described as “one of the most dangerous activities he has ever been involved in” within almost 15 minutes, being seen driving on the M62 while apparently under the influence of drugs on the night Late. . The banned driver claims he did so because one of his friends in the vehicle was a wanted man.

Liverpool Crown Court heard on Tuesday that an unmarked police car tried to pull over the 33-year-old’s Vauxhall Mokka on the M62 shortly before 10.30pm on January 14 this year because he was suspected of being under the influence . But Porter did not stop and left the motorway at junction seven before continuing towards Widnes while carrying two passengers.

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Iain Criddle, prosecuting, described how he then led officers on a pursuit for the next 13 minutes – during which he drove at up to 110mph in a 60mph zone as well as 65mph in a residential area where the limit was 20 mph. He added: “Luckily, probably because of the time of night, the roads weren’t as congested as they could have been, which is perhaps more luck than anything else.”

At one point Porter stopped his vehicle before getting back into a police car and causing around £4,000 worth of damage. He also ran red lights, drove the wrong way around roundabouts and on the wrong side of the road, as well as overtaking a van and “almost pushed it off the road”.

Towards the end of the chase, an oncoming car had to mount the curb to avoid a collision with the father-of-two. Porter, of Bancroft Road in Widnes, then stopped his vehicle and ran down an alley but was caught with the help of a police dog.

He “admitted to taking drugs” but refused to give a sample for analysis and initially denied being the driver, although the car keys were found in his possession. Mr Criddle said an “experienced police officer” described the incident as “one of the most dangerous activities he has ever been involved in”.

Porter has a total of seven previous convictions for 17 offences, including drink driving in 2009. He was then disqualified for dangerous driving in 2016 and ordered to pass an extended retest before being allowed back on the roads, although he never did.

This led to him being sentenced for driving while disqualified in 2021. Joanne Maxwell, defending, told the court: “The defendant acknowledges the appalling manner in which he drove on this particular occasion.

“The manner in which he drove and the length of time he drove on this occasion in January was one where the dangers posed were inherent in that type of driving. as bad as it would have been.

“My instructions are that the others in the car were known to him and one instructed him not to stop because he was wanted by the police. Poor judgment led to his decision not to stop.

“He has been addicted to cocaine for the past five or six years. He is a man who has displayed factors that indicate that he is now all too aware of the consequences of this addiction and that he needs to change his life.

“Medical records show that he has been to his family doctor, not only to address his mental health, but also to address his cocaine addiction. He is desperate for further assistance.

“Life is now and has been for the past six months on the upswing for Mr. Porter. His family ties tightened around him.

“He is a man who provided great assistance to his family. He is a registered carer for his father and provides personal care for him on a daily basis.

“He is keen to be able to provide a stable education for his daughters. He is described as a wonderful father.

“There are significant gaps in his record that demonstrate he can stay out of trouble. He came to court prepared for a custodial sentence but is asking the court to give him one last chance.”

Porter admitted dangerous driving, failing to yield to police, driving without a license and driving without insurance. He was jailed for 16 months and banned from driving for two years and eight months.

Sentencing, Recorder David Knifton KC said: “Given the time of the evening, fortunately there were no pedestrians around. But there were a number of other vehicles and numerous parked cars.

“This pursuit has been described by an experienced traffic officer as one of the most dangerous activities he has ever been involved in. After watching the extensive footage from the dashboard, I wholeheartedly agree with his analysis.

“You have a number of previous convictions, mostly for impaired driving. I note that you were involved in a very serious accident at the age of 18, but this cannot explain or justify your actions.

“I am sorry to say that there is very little to suggest that you have demonstrated the willingness and commitment to comply with a non-custodial sentence. I hope that at the right time you will demonstrate to your family a real commitment to change your lifestyle, but in my opinion that must be after your release.

“You made a deliberate decision to ignore the rules of the road and showed a total disregard for other road users. This was a prolonged and persistent course of dangerous driving involving a number of extremely dangerous manoeuvres.

“Your driving was impaired by drug use and you sought to evade the police throughout. Although fortunately no one else was injured, a police vehicle was damaged.”

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