A driver gave a police officer a lift in her Nissan Micra to help him catch a suspect who had been ramming a police car and crashing into parked vehicles while trying to escape.
An extraordinary intervention
The incident happened in Abercwmboi, Rhondda Cynon Taf, when the suspect, Jacob Roberts, 25, drove into a dead-end street and abandoned his white van before trying to flee on foot. A police officer pursuing Roberts ran to a red Nissan Micra driven by a woman who told him to “get in” and offered him a lift. Bodycam footage captured the moment, including the officer’s request for directions.
The woman helped the officer catch up with Roberts, who was arrested after the officer drew his taser. During a search, officers found two cannabis cigarettes on him. Roberts had earlier been driving erratically, failing to stop at junctions, mounting pavements and putting pedestrians at risk. Officers told the court they had smelled cannabis coming from his van.
A jail sentence
Roberts, from Mountain Ash, was sentenced at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on 16 September to one year and two months in jail for a catalogue of driving offences. He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance, failing to stop after a road accident, criminal damage to property, and possession of controlled Class B drugs. He was also disqualified from driving for three years.
The officer involved, PC Kerswell, said Roberts had been already banned from driving when he committed the offences and had shown “complete disregard for all other road users, including pedestrians”. He said the sentence should give Roberts time to reflect on his actions and hoped it would act as a deterrent.
Why it matters
On one level this is a curious human-interest story: a member of the public stepping in to help a police officer in a pursuit. On another, it is a reminder of the dangers posed by dangerous driving and by those who continue to drive while disqualified. Roberts was already banned from driving at the time of the offending, and the police reported that his actions had placed pedestrians at risk.
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The involvement of cannabis is also significant. The discovery of cannabis cigarettes during the search added a drugs offence to the charges, and the case will reinforce the dangers of mixing drug use with driving — particularly for those who are already disqualified.
What happens next
Roberts has been jailed and disqualified, so the criminal justice element of this story is largely complete. The more open question is whether the woman’s intervention will be cited as an example of public cooperation with police pursuits. The footage from the officer’s bodycam is likely to attract continued interest given the unusual nature of the help provided.
Source: BBC News
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