Sunderland banned driver ran from cops before getting stuck on barbed wire while chased by a police dog

Craig Coulson, 24, of Ridley Terrace, Hendon, Sunderland, then abandoned the car and fled – but was caught stuck on barbed wire by a police dog.

He was 14 months into a 20-month ban for driving over the limit when apprehended at Fordfield Road, near Pallion, on Thursday, July 16.

His solicitor told magistrates in South Tyneside that raising his arm had probably alerted police to his illegal driver status as he was not otherwise “public enemy number one”.

The warehouse worker has now been given a new six-month driving ban which will extend his disqualification to April.

Prosecutor Ian Martin said: “At 8.50pm officers in Pennywell observed a BMW driving in the opposite direction at speed.

“The driver is seen to cover his face with his left arm, moving the arm across his face to cover the view.

“The officers turned around. They lost sight of the vehicle, which stopped and two people alighted and made off.

“There was a short pursuit and he was detained."

The court heard Coulson, who pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified, driving without insurance and without a licence, had been banned from the roads in May 2019.

Richard Copsey, defending, said: “He was driving about one mile to his granny’s in his girlfriend’s car.

“It was a stupid thing to do. It is a blatant breach of a court order. He got caught on barbed wire and there was a police dog.

“The police probably saw him raise his hand across his face. It raised their hackles – he’s not public enemy number one.”

John Lee, chair of the bench, told Coulson: “How stupid was that? Driving past a police car and trying to shield your face.

“You may as well just have tooted the horn, saying you had something to hide. You should never have been driving.”

Coulson was also handed a 12-month community order, with a requirement of 18 days of rehabilitation work with the Probations Service.

He was fined £50 and must pay a £95 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.

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