Man who rammed police car during Carlisle pursuit jailed

A man who twice rammed a police vehicle during a high-speed pursuit before crashing into a pregnant woman's car has been jailed.

Tylor Lockhart, who was driving a Transit van, mounted a pavement near a school and drove through a park during the chase through Carlisle in January.

The 19-year-old, from Beverley Rise, admitted dangerous driving and having no insurance or full licence.

He was sentenced to 10 months and banned from driving for three years.

Carlisle Crown Court heard Lockhart was followed by a police constable on mobile patrol just after 12:00 on 24 January onto Pennine Way and ignored blue lights and sirens to stop.

Lockhart's van mounted a pavement alongside Pennine Way School while pedestrians were in the area.

He then drove through a play park on to Hunters Crescent, causing another motorist to take evasive action, and hit more than double the 30 mph speed limit when he reached Cumwhinton.

During the pursuit Lockhart stopped twice, reversed and rammed the pursuing police vehicle, he also sped past a horse rider and drove through a red light.

Sex offending past

In Scotby his van collided head-on with a car driven by a woman who was 25 weeks' pregnant.

She suffered only minor injury, but she was left anxious and distressed about the fate of her unborn child.

Her car was written off.

Lockhart's lawyer, Jeff Smith, conceded his client's driving was "appalling" and caused by his fear of returning to custody having previously been sentenced for child sex offending and court order breaches.

Recorder Philip Grundy told Lockhart: "You were calculating in the way you were driving to try and escape. It is pure luck that no one has been seriously injured or killed."

Lockhart must also pass an extended driving re-test.

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