Dangerous driver avoids prison after driving on WRONG side of A45 in Northamptonshire for SIX MILES

A dangerous driver has been handed a suspended prison sentence after driving on the wrong side of the A45 carriageway for six miles.

Police officers in an unmarked vehicle were searching for a Peugeot van at around 2am on March 13, this year when they spotted it travelling westbound on the A45 in Northamptonshire.

The van was being driven by Miley Connors, aged 24, who exited the carriageway at the Queen Eleanor interchange. Police attempted to stop the vehicle by activating their lights and sirens; Connors initially indicated to pull over and slowed down but he suddenly accelerated off down London Road.

A chase ensued, which led to Connors taking a slip road to rejoin the A45 in the wrong direction, driving up to speeds of 90mph.

Other vehicles - including two lorries - had to turn on their hazard lights and take evasive action to avoid a collision, Northampton Crown Court heard on Wednesday, June 28.

Connors managed to travel a total of six miles travelling in the wrong direction on the carriageway before police were able to push his van into one of the barriers and the defendant stepped out with his hands up, saying “alright.”

During the 24-year-old’s arrest, he told officers: “I am sorry, I just want to die I wanted to kill myself.”

Sinjin Bulbring, prosecuting, told the court that one of the police officers carrying out the arrest said: “I have been an officer for 18 years and I have never seen anything so dangerous and reckless.”

Connors, of Bedford Road East in Yardley Hastings, has six previous convictions, including driving with excess alcohol.

Caroline Stewart, in mitigation, said that Connors has expressed “genuine remorse” about his actions that night.

“He tells me that he thinks about it every day,” the defence barrister said, “He has nightmares about it, he has flashbacks to it.”

Ms Stewart added: “Were he able to speak to the officers and members of the public on the road that night, he would want to apologise for his actions and the fear and alarm that he clearly put them in.”

The court heard that Connors had abused alcohol from as young as 12 years old, following the trauma of the circumstances surrounding his father’s death. After this happened, no one in the family stepped in to be a consistent caregiver.

Connors thought that he could handle his mental health struggles but now realises he needs to get help, Ms Stewart told the court.

His Honour Judge Mayo DL said it was “merciful” that Connors did not hit anybody when “recklessly” driving his van.

“But imagine what the drivers on the correct side of the road would have thought when they saw the headlights on your van coming towards them,” Judge Mayo told the defendant, “Just imagine that for 20 seconds and then multiply that by the number of minutes you were driving in that way.”

Connors was handed a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. He was ordered to undertake 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days and a six-month alcohol treatment requirement programme and he was disqualified from driving for a year.