Great Western Coffee Shop

Banned driver missed train by 8 seconds as he fled from police

A BANNED driver who raced away from police in a work van was less than eight seconds from disaster when he went over a level crossing on red.

Craig Harfield led police on a 20-minute chase when they tried to stop him as he drove to work as a bricklayer.

But rather than pull over the 27-year-old kept on driving around west Swindon then swerved through the barriers which had come down to keep traffic off the lines. And a chest-camera being worn by a police officer in the following car showed just eight seconds later a passenger train hurtled through on the high speed line.

Tessa Hingston, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court that police first spotted the Transit style van in Peatmoor just after 7am on Friday, April 28.

Despite their blue lights and sirens being on, Harfield continued driving through Sparcells, Nine Elms and the Lydiards.

He then went along Collins Lane and as he rounded the bend approaching the level crossing the lights were flashing and the barriers down.

Instead of stopping the van crossed to the other side of the road and manoeuvred round the half barrier to cross the track.

"Officer were able to see from the timings in their video within eight seconds of him crossing a high speed passenger train came past," she said.

"At 7.40am he stopped in a dead end and the defendant made off on foot. He was chase by officers."

Harfield, of Stockridge Copse, Peatmoor, admitted driving while disqualified, dangerous driving and no insurance.

At the time of the incident the court heard he was on two suspended sentences, one for common assault and another for dangerous driving.

Rob Ross, defending, said that he had already served the suspended sentences after magistrates activated them at an earlier hearing.

He said his client had a chequered history but was now looking at the prospect of getting a well paid job as a brick layer.

While most of the driving was poor he said the only really dangerous aspect was when he went across the level crossing.

He said that as he approached his client was adamant he could see both ways that nothing was coming, so he foolishly crossed the track.

"He said in interview he could have put a lot of other people at risk. He didn't think for one second what he was doing, which is unfortunate," he said.

Jailing him Recorder Alastair Malcolm QC said: "The dangerous driving went on for a period of 20 minutes when you were trying to escape police who were trying to stop you because they knew you were a disqualified driver.

"It culminated with you going through a railway crossing on the red lights. Fortunately the train didn't come immediately but within eight seconds a train did come past.

"As you told the police: that was dangerous. If the train was derailed it could have killed countless numbers on that train as well as yourself, if you had been hit."

As well as jailing him for 12 months he also banned him from the road for three years and until he has passed an extended test.