Banned quad biker who took armed police on half-hour 70mph helicopter chase through Corby on night of fun-fair given just ten months behind bars

A man who sparked an armed response in Corby after a funfair-goer spotted him riding his quad bike dangerously has been jailed for just ten months.

Jordan Lee Johnson has previously been disqualified from driving five times – and he was still serving a ban on the night of May 13 when he was involved in a 70mph chase through several residential areas of Corby riding a Dinli quad bike borrowed from a pal.

That pursuit ended in a crash in Station Road where Johnson – not wearing a helmet – was sent flying out of the seat and rolled several times in the road before police descended on him with their guns. Remarkably, he did not suffer any serious injuries.

Parts of the terrifying chase were caught on camera by a police helicopter and officers pursuing him in their car. The video was shown to a hushed courtroom at yesterday’s sentencing hearing where Johnson, who has 41 previous convictions, was given just ten months in prison, to serve half.

Because he was already wanted by on recall to prison to serve the rest of a previous eight month sentence, in effect it means he will serve no extra jail time at all for the quad bike incident.

Wearing a full grey North Face tracksuit, a black cap and carrying a vape and a suitcase, the 29-year-old was accompanied in court by his mum.

The defendant closed his eyes for large parts of the hearing and had his mouth open, leading the judge to ask at one point if he was ‘sleepy’ and needed a drink of water.

Johnson – who goes by the name Blinkie or Skinny – frequently posts anti-police images on his open social media pages. He carries a white security blanket-type cloth over his shoulder which he had with him in court. He could also be seen carrying it on the helicopter camera while he was committing his offences in Corby.

Prosecutor Simren Singh told Northampton Crown Court that a concerned member of the public at the fair had phoned police to report the manner of Johnson’s driving at about 7.20pm. There was also an initial report that he was carrying a machete but no weapon was found when he was eventually arrested.

Police caught up with Johnson, of Lapland Walk, and ordered him to stop but he ignored them. An officer witnessed him travelling at up to 70mph, overtaking dangerously, forcing other vehicles onto grass verges to avoid colliding with them and driving on the wrong side of the road.

The pursuit was called off as it was deemed too dangerous and the force helicopter was called in.

Firearms officers arrived on the scene and were given authorisation to carry out an enforced stop because of the concerns over the danger to the wider public.

Footage from the helicopter showed Johnson driving on the wrong side of the road, over hatched areas, and between cars going in opposite directions. He also rode through wooded areas on and pedestrian footpaths.

The video showed him riding along Jubilee Avenue into Westcott Way, then on the wrong side of the road around the roundabout, down Turner Road, Gainsborough Road, and into Oakley Road towards the Oakley Vale estate.

Later in the pursuit he was spotted tearing through the Kingswood estate, along Harlech before driving down the pedestrian path to Alberta Close, across the field and into Redgrave Drive, Gunnell Road and Eastbrook.

He then went to the Beanfield estate into Beanfield Avenue towards Newark Drive. He emerged in Cottingham Road and turned toward the boating lake.

Johnson was later spotted driving a 50mph in Stephenson Way and police caught up with him near the shops in Rockingham Road. He went over a stinger but it failed to have any effect.

He drove through the Old Village, going round the roundabout the wrong way into High Street and then into Station Road.

Just before he reached Oakley Road he clipped a kerb then hit a parked vehicle and a stop sign and was pinged from the quad. As the court was shown the footage, his mum gasped loudly when Johnson was shown smashing into the tarmac.

Mr Singh said: “He showed little regard for the safety of people. It was more luck than skill that the outcome wasn’t worse.”

Johnson was taken to University Hospital Coventry after the crash. He did not suffer any serious injuries but was deemed unfit for police interview.

Recorder Worsley was told that he had previously been subject to five driving disqualifications including one for causing serious injury by dangerous driving on the A43 while on drugs.

Mitigating, Liam Muir said that Johnson had been honest about the offence, had pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving without insurance and driving while disqualified, and was frank about his potential recall to prison.

Mr Muir said: “You have seen how the defendant presents today. His maturity doesn’t reach his chronological age."

Sentencing, Recorder Worsley said: “You have an unenviable driving record including many for disqualified driving.

"This was without doubt dangerous driving.

"The amount of harm was mercifully low. You created a great deal of risk.

“Next time you might be killed.”

Johnson was given ten months in jail and will serve half, but it will run concurrently to the recall sentence of eight months he will have to serve. He was already disqualified from driving until May 25 and he was given a further two-and-a-half year ban which will end in December 2025.