Man jailed for string of motoring offences on the A14 after he was seen acting suspiciously near a Newmarket lorry

A 25-year-old man, who was seen acting suspiciously near a lorry in Newmarket, has been jailed for a string of motoring offences after a police pursuit along the A14 earlier this year.

George Brown, of Upminster in London, appeared at Ipswich Crown Court yesterday where he was sentenced to 18 months jail.

He was also disqualified from driving for four years, with an extension period of nine months and will be required to take an extended re-test.

Brown pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, drug driving, driving without insurance, driving whilst disqualified, and possession of cocaine at a previous hearing at South Essex Magistrates' Court in August.

On January 4 police were first alerted after they received reports of people seen acting suspiciously near a lorry parked in Newmarket's Oaks Drive at about 12.40am.

An eyewitness told officers he had seen the group get into a car, and provided the registration details. Soon after the Ford Focus was seen travelling east on the A14.

At about 1am police had spotted the car parked in a layby on the busy east-west road.

But when officers approached the car to speak with the drivers, the vehicle sped off onto the A14 with no lights on.

The officer got back into the police car and they went in pursuit of the vehicle, which at this point was travelling at around 90mph and switching from the inside lane to the outside lane, continually applying the brakes.

The Ford Focus then suddenly came to a stop on the A14 and a man got out of the vehicle and stood in the road.

The police car also stopped and an officer got out to detain this man, walking him off the A14 to wait for another police vehicle to collect them.

The Focus then accelerated along the road reaching speeds of 100mph and the police vehicle was then joined in the pursuit by another response vehicle and two vehicles from the Roads and Armed Policing Team, which took over the chase.

The Ford Focus exited the A14 at the junction with the A1120 in Stowupland, drove around the roundabout and then in an attempt to evade police, entered the eastbound off-slip travelling in the wrong direction.

One of the RAPT vehicles then drove into the side of the Focus to bring it safely to a stop.

George Brown – who had been driving the Ford Focus - got out of the car and ran off, before being arrested by officers around 1.20am.

Brown made an admission at the scene that he had taken some cocaine and subsequently failed a roadside drug wipe.