Corby man leads police on 60mph chase after stealing car from Gumtree seller during test-drive

While discussing the price, Wainwright made a break for the car, jumped in and sped off.
Paul Wainwright responded to a Gumtree advert for a Renault Scenic only to steal the car during the test drive.Paul Wainwright responded to a Gumtree advert for a Renault Scenic only to steal the car during the test drive.
Paul Wainwright responded to a Gumtree advert for a Renault Scenic only to steal the car during the test drive.

A Corby man who responded to a victim's Gumtree advert to sell his car only to steal the Renault during the test-drive and lead police on a 60mph chase has been spared jail.

Paul Wainwright, from Pen Green Lane, met up with his target on Stephenson Way under the pretense of taking his black Renault Scenic for a spin and see if he wanted to buy it.

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But while they were discussing the price, the 23-year-old and an associate made a break for the car, jumped in and sped off.

What followed was a 60mph car chase after the victim called the police and an officer spotted the stolen Renault fly past him on Harrowden Road.

Prosecutor Sarah Phelan told Northampton Crown Court yesterday: "The officer executed a U-turn to chase the car.

"This is where the matter of dangerous driving becomes relevant. Wainwright drove in excess of 60mph in residential areas, went the wrong way around roundabouts, drove on the wrong side of the road and sped through multiple red lights.

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"Lastly, in the car park of Lazer Maze, he collided with a bollard that brought him to a stop."

Wainwright was also disqualified from driving at the time, but he claimed he did not know this to police.

The court heard that at the time of the offence in November 2019, Wainwright was struggling with cannabis and alcohol use but has since stopped.

In played a role in Recorder Mr David Herbert QC's sentencing, who said: "This incident led to a 15-minute car chase because of your own stupidity in trying to evade the police.

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"It's more by fortune that no one was else was in the way of your driving.

"But because the steps you've taken towards changing your life in the last few months, I've concluded that it is appropriate to suspend your sentence."

Wainwright was handed a 10 month sentence suspended for two years. He was also disqualified from driving for another two years.