Speeding Audi driver pursued by police along A31

Footage played at Bournemouth Crown Court showed how a group of people, including a child and a woman with a pram, “frantically” had to get out of the way of the Audi car being driven by Ashley Martin Timothy Smedburg.

The defendant, of New Street, Ringwood, was jailed for 10 months by a judge following the dangerous driving incident on June 3 last year.

The 34-year-old was being pursued by police after he was clocked travelling at 74mph in a 50mph zone on the A31 in St Leonards.

After continuing on the dual carriageway for a short time, Smedburg turned off the main road and struck a hedge to the left.

He then sped past the pedestrians as he entered St Leonards Farm Caravan & Camping Park and narrowly avoided a collision with a delivery van.

Prosecuting, Stuart Ellacott told the hearing on Friday, February 10, that the chase continued from the caravan park.

“He decamps from the vehicle and is bundled to the ground by a member of the public before officers detained him,” Mr Ellacott said.

He was found to be in possession of two wraps of cocaine.

When questioned about the incident, Smedburg said he drove off because he was already disqualified and he had drugs on him.

He said he thought the section of road he was travelling at 74mph on had a 70mph limit, the court heard.

Mr Ellacott said the defendant had previous convictions for motoring offences.

Smedburg admitted driving a motor vehicle dangerously, driving while disqualified, using a motor vehicle without insurance and possession of class A drugs. The commission of these offences breached a suspended sentence order.

Mitigating, Kevin Hill said the defendant gave a candid account of what he did.

“He accepts that there is little I can say to mitigate the circumstances of this bad example of dangerous driving with other associated offences and he does not ask me to do so,” Mr Hill said.

The barrister said Smedburg was realistic about what he faced, he attended court with a packed bag and he was remorself.

Mr Hill said the father-of-five had a traumatic childhood and he had significant mental health issues.

Recorder Hannah Willcocks KC said: “It was, one could see from the footage, incredibly dangerous.”

She added: “It was a deliberate attempt to avoid police knowing you were driving while disqualified."

The judge said the driving in the caravan park was where there was the greatest risk of harm.

Alongside the prison sentence, the defendant was disqualified from driving for five years and five months.