By Staff Reporter

Last updated at 12:59, Saturday, 06 October 2012

A convicted robber who deliberately crashed his car into a police car while driving home from a night out has been sent to prison.

At the time of the incident six weeks ago Daniel Anderson, 29, was out of prison on licence after serving half of a six-year sentence for two armed robberies.

Those involved a raid on a garage in Cockermouth in 2009, when he threatened staff with a hammer, and another the following day when he carried out a similar robbery at another garage in Dearham while armed with an iron bar.

The car crash happened on the A595 at about 2am August 26 this year, when he was driving home from Carlisle to west Cumbria with a friend, Alicia Saunders.

Prosecuting counsel Patrick Buckley told Carlisle Crown Court police spotted him driving his Citroen Saxo in such an “erratic manner” between Caldbeck and Wigton that they decided to stop him, thinking he must be under the influence of drink or drugs.

He stopped his car in such a dangerous place one of the officers got out of the police car to tell him to move to somewhere safer, whereupon he put his car into reverse gear and crashed into the police vehicle behind him.

Then, Mr Buckley said, he drove off, with the police in pursuit.

He abandoned his car a little further on, at Bolton Low Houses, leaving Ms Saunders inside.

“She was in shock, saying she could not believe what he had done,” Mr Buckley said.

Anderson – who had previous convictions for dangerous driving and drink-driving – pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and failing to provide a specimen for analysis after being arrested on suspicion of driving with excess alcohol in his system.

Anderson, of Thompson Terrace, Flimby, Maryport, was jailed for 16 months and, because of his previous convictions, he was also banned from driving for four years.

First published at 10:49, Saturday, 06 October 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk