Fleeing crash man terrified pensioner

A driver who fled after crashing his car ended up taking a Midland pensioner prisoner in her own home while he was being hunted by police officers.

Banned motorist Dale Byrne, from Wolverhampton, darted into the woman's bungalow in Staffordshire, locked the door and grabbed her, saying "hide me". Byrne was being pursued on foot by police after abandoning a damaged Nissan Primera which he had driven dangerously from Stafford to Rugeley in the wake of colliding with a Mercedes.

Nick Burn, prosecuting, said the Mercedes spun round and hit a wall in Moss Pit, Stafford, causing £2,000 worth of damage, while Byrne took off towards the A51.

Even though one of the wheels had no tyre, the Primera sped erratically at nearly 60 mph, smoke coming from the car, and going the wrong way round a roundabout.

By the time it reached Rugeley, it was undriveable, Byrne abandoned it and ran off ,chased by officers .

After failing to get in to one bungalow in the sheltered scheme, he jumped over a fence and into the woman's home.

After seeing him lock the door, the pensioner grabbed her keys and tried to open the front door, but Byrne stopped her and twisted her arm to get the keys off her.

Byrne said "Hide me, don't let them get me."

The victim later told police: "I was very frightened. I saw him lock my back door. I was trying to get out of the house, but the front door was locked. I had got to the door, tried to turn the key, but the man followed me. He grabbed both my arms from behind and pulled me in to the living room."

Her ordeal ended when police hammered on the door. Byrne jumped out of the window, but was restrained.

Father-of-two Byrne, aged 33, of Falkland Crescent, Wolverhampton was jailed at Stafford Crown Court for a total of 32 months after admitting dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, false imprisonment, no insurance and failing to stop after an accident.