Lorry caught driving wrong way down motorway after West Country Champagne heist
Dramatic footage shows the moment five crooks were chased on foot through motorway traffic just hours after stealing more than £80,000 of premium booze from a gin distillery in Cornwall. The gang stole gin, rum and Champagne in a daring heist before fleeing in a lorry in which they attempted to escape pursuing officers by driving the wrong way along the M42.
The thieves had raided a gin distillery in Wadebridge, in the early hours of September 8 last year. Police were alerted and a HGV was spotted on the M5 on cloned plates and was tracked onto the M42. A rolling roadblock was put in place and the lorry was stung causing the tyres to deflate, reports Cornwall Live.[1]
The lorry rammed a police vehicle, injuring two police officers. Once the getaway lorry had been forced to crash, two of the gang fled on foot through live motorway traffic with officers in pursuit.
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Birmingham Crown Court heard the theft had been extensively planned and each of the gang had designated roles. The premises and offices were ransacked, bottles of alcohol were opened and smashed on the floor and entry points were damaged, requiring thousands of pounds of repairs.
Getaway driver Adam Leek, 40 of Birmingham, was jailed for five years and eight months after he admitted conspiracy to commit burglary, two counts of assaulting an emergency worker, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and without insurance. He was also banned from driving for 65 months.
(L-R) James Delaney, Joshua Selvey and Reiss Crombie
Front passenger Sam Hall, 29 of no fixed address, was jailed for 31 months for conspiracy to commit burglary and possession of a class B drug.
James Delaney, 37; Joshua Selvey, 23, and Reiss Crombie, 32, all from Birmingham, were each jailed for 33, 28 and 28 months respectively for conspiracy to commit burglary. Selvey was also convicted of possession of a class B drug.
Delaney failed to appear at court for a second time and was sentenced in his absence. A warrant has been issued for his arrest and he is on the run.
Adam Leek (left) and Sam Hall
The dramatic footage, released following the sentence by West Midlands Police, shows the driver career along the M42 and exit at junction 9 where he continued around the roundabout. He then attempted to join the motorway exit slip-road the wrong way, driving into oncoming traffic.
A police vehicle attempted to block the lorry resulting in severe bruising and whiplash to an officers. The lorry hit another car, causing minor injuries to three people, before another police vehicle rammed the lorry into the central barrier.
The driver of the lorry immediately made off across the busy all lanes of the motorway but was caught a distance away. The front seat passenger was also arrested on the grass verge. Inside the back of the lorry, officers found three men with the stolen alcohol.
The stolen haul of alcohol in the back of the lorry
The moment police stopped the lorry
Inspector Sion Hathaway, from Central Motorway Police Group, said: “Our officers are highly trained at driving in unpredictable and dangerous situations. They continually assess any pursuit to determine risk to the subject vehicle and other road users.
“The driver of the lorry had only one aim, which was to avoid capture, no matter the cost to other members of the public. We were assisted by the National Police Air Service to bring the incident to conclusion as safely as possible.
“The brave actions of my staff are a reminder of how police officers don’t hesitate to put themselves in harm’s way to protect the public. Had the officers not taken positive action to stop this vehicle the consequences could have been catastrophic.
“The serious injuries suffered by two officers left them in severe pain and needing lengthy treatment, which they are continuing to recover from today. I applaud their actions on the day which no doubt prevented potential injury to members of the public.”
References
- ^ Cornwall Live. (www.cornwalllive.com)
- ^ The M5, M4 and M32 speed cameras that catch the most drivers – full list (www.bristolpost.co.uk)
- ^ Try BristolLive Premium for FREE with no ads and new features (www.bristolpost.co.uk)