10 hours ago
Caerphilly dangerous driver rammed police cars before crash
Niall Bright, 28, from Abercarn, Caerphilly led officers on the pursuit from Whitchurch Road in Cardiff to the village of Bonvilston in the Vale of Glamorgan.
The disqualified driver was at the wheel of a Volkswagen Polo when he was spotted at 3am in the morning on Monday, May 19.
Elin Morgan, prosecuting, told Cardiff Crown Court that Bright drove through a stinger device before speeding at 70mph in a 30mph zone.
He also ignored a red light and travelled on the wrong side of the road 'coming close to other vehicles'.
Following his collision and arrest 'a female passenger travelling with him was described as being shaken and unable to speak'.
Four police cars were involved in boxing Bright in with one of the officers he rammed suffering an injured shoulder.
The defendant refused to give the police a specimen of blood.
'There was a blatant disregard for the rules of the road,' Miss Morgan added. 'Two of the police cars were damaged.'
Bright, of no fixed abode, admitted dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, two counts of assaulting an emergency worker, failing to provide a specimen for analysis, possession of amphetamine and driving with no insurance.
These offences put him in breach of a suspended prison sentence that was imposed on April 4, 2024 for dangerous driving and driving while disqualified.
The defendant has previous convictions for dangerous driving in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021 and 2023.
In total, he has 14 previous convictions for 35 offences.
Kevin Seal for Bright said his client's mother had suffered a stroke at the time of his offending.
His barrister said: 'He entered guilty pleas at the first opportunity and he bitterly regrets his actions.'
Judge Richard Kember told Bright: 'The manner of your driving attracted the attention of the police and a stinger was deployed.'
He jailed the defendant for 26 months and told him he would serve half of that sentence in custody before being released on licence.
The defendant will be banned from driving for five years and he will have to sit an extended retest.
He must also pay a statutory victim surcharge.
