A reckless driver smashed into a police car and multiple parked vehicles while leading officers on a high-speed chase. Marshall Lewis, 25, was apprehended speeding by a police officer in Cardiff on February 4. The pursuit began on Heol Trelai in Ely, with Lewis driving a black Peugeot 108 attempting to evade capture. During the chase, Lewis accelerated to speeds of up to 90mph, endangering himself and others on the road.
The pursuit continued onto Penally Road and Bishopton Road, where Lewis swerved into a central reservation. His erratic driving led him onto Heol Ebwy, before looping back onto Heol Trelai, Church Road, and Tapley Close. Eventually, Lewis came to a stop, reversed at speed, and intentionally crashed into the police car, causing injury to the officer inside. He then collided with several parked cars, resulting in substantial damage, including writing off a grey Mercedes and a Volkswagen Fox, as well as causing damage to a Toyota Yaris and the police vehicle, amounting to £6,883.
The court learned that Lewis had a history of 18 previous convictions, including offences such as aggravated vehicle taking and failing to comply with court orders. Despite his troubling track record, Lewis pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, assaulting an emergency worker, and four counts of criminal damage. In a bid for leniency, Lewis acknowledged his misconduct and expressed remorse for his actions through his defence solicitor, Alice Sykes.
During the sentencing at Newport Crown Court, Judge David Wynn Morgan handed Lewis a 12-month prison term and a five-year driving disqualification. The judge condemned Lewis’s reckless behaviour on the roads and stressed the severity of his actions in endangering lives and causing significant property damage. Lewis’s actions serve as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by irresponsible driving and the consequences that follow such reckless behaviour on the streets.