Dangerous Sheffield driver went 'wrong way' on roundabout & dual carriageway while trying to escape police

A dangerous Sheffield driver, who while trying to evade police, drove the wrong way on a roundabout and a dual carriageway is beginning a prison sentence today. 

Defendant, Jay Williams, embarked on 15 minutes of bad driving while being pursued by police in ‘wet’ conditions on the evening of Sunday, November 19, 2023, Sheffield Crown Court heard. 

Judge Rachael Harrison told Williams, formerly of High Green, Sheffield: "You drove the wrong way on a dual carriageway, and on a roundabout…you travelled at high speeds in a low limit residential area.”

"You went through red lights on a dual carriageway. Thankfully there were no passengers, and you didn’t crash into anything."

She added: "This was an appalling piece of driving, when you were not insured, and didn’t have a driving licence."

"This was 15 minutes of bad driving while you were attempting to evade police in wet conditions, at night."

Court documents show that Williams, aged 39, drove a Skoda Yeti Black vehicle dangerously on several Sheffield roads, including Penistone Road, Herries Road, Wordsworth Avenue, Broad Lane, Hawley Street, Campo Lane, Queen Street, and Paradise Street.

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A hearing held on March 18, 2024 heard how Williams was wanted for driving matters when he carried out the dangerous driving, something Judge Harrison said she regarded to be an aggravating factor. 

Williams pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving at an earlier hearing. 

Defending, Ian West said Williams had instructed him that he had been going through a ‘difficult time’ during which he had been ‘subject to bank fraud and lost a significant amount of money’. 

"His partner was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, his mother with lung cancer, and he went off the rails…this offence arose out of an effort to purchase Class A drugs. He instructs me he has been clear of the Class A drug heroin since December, and crack cocaine since late January.

"He doesn’t present as someone on Class A drugs today, therefore, I suggest, there is the prospect that he is capable of rehabilitation."

As she jailed Williams for eight months, Judge Harrison said he had made a ‘deliberate decision to ignore the rules of the road’ and had put others ‘at risk’ through his dangerous driving. 

Judge Harrison said that while she had taken note of Williams’ ‘mental health issues,’ she did not accept that they reduced his culpability, adding that in her judgement, immediate custody was ‘unavoidable’. 

Williams was also banned from driving for 16 months.