Norfolk police hit speeds of 114mph in Little Fransham chase

Ian Smith, 43, died in hospital days after flipping his car off the A47 while attempting to flee officers last year. He has been wanted on suspicion of a domestic offence. An inquest into his death heard that during the high-speed chase[1], Mr Smith had made several manoeuvres in his efforts to escape officers before crashing moments after crossing a police stinger.

During the second day of the hearing, one officer described having to hit speeds of more than 100mph to catch up with the farmer once he had begun his attempted getaway. PC Ben Hawkins, who was in the car pursuing Mr Smith, said: "It became apparent he was reacting to our presence and I increased my speed [as a result]. "By the time I caught up with him, I had to travel at 114mph - it became very clear he had no intention of stopping."

Meanwhile, further details were revealed of the pursuit, with Mr Smith first detected by police on the A1122 Swaffham Road, near Marham, before leading officers on a chase onto the A47 towards Dereham. The jury heard the police were planning to use a method called an "enforced stop" in which cars are used to box in a fleeing motorist and bring them to a halt. Ahead of the eventual crash, Mr Smith, from March, drove over a police stinger in the village of Little Fransham.

A short while later, Mr Smith's Citroen C3 left the road and flipped into a ditch. He died in hospital of his injuries six days later, on May 29 last year. Sgt James Shepherd, who deployed the stinger, said the devices are designed to slowly deflate tyres so did not increase the danger of the chase.

He said: "If stingers made things more dangerous we would not use them."

The inquest continues.

References

1. ^ An inquest into his death heard that during the high-speed chase (www.edp24.co.uk)