180mph Car Chase Thief Jailed for Nine Years

[calibrax]

Just seen this...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19347144

Now, I've watched the footage and (unless it doesn't show him at top speed) it doesn't look like 180mph to me?

[Timbola]

Beeb said:

Jail for 180mph M6 chase driver Ben Westwood

A man caught doing 180mph in a police chase on the M6 in the West Midlands has been jailed for nine years.

Ben Westwood, of Woden Road, Wednesfield, is thought to be the fastest driver to be caught in the UK.

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard how during the 65-mile chase in January Westwood, 33, almost outpaced the police helicopter, in a stolen car.

Westwood was found guilty of dangerous driving and conspiracy to burgle and steal earlier this month.

The court heard how the modified Audi RS5 had been previously stolen from Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire.

Police said the car was then linked to 16 raids across Staffordshire, Shropshire and the West Midlands, including incidents at a bowling alley and a jewellers.

The raids took place between August 2011 and January 2012.

Link has vid footage.

That's some speed ...

Am not much of a propellor head, but 'almost outpaced the police helicopter' wouldn't seem to be hyperbole either, given that the West Midlands's latest chopper is the EC135P2i, which has a top speed of 178mph.

Anyway, another thieving innit bruv locked up for a while.

[aj84]

http://news.sky.com/story/976106/jail-for-180mph-r...

Hopefully it does not belong to anyone here because I'm sure once forensics are done, it will be re-united with the owner...something probably the owner wouldn't want after being ragged like that.

Still...nice to know the police couldn't keep up with it :- )

[The Nur]

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...


beaten to it by two minutes

[Timbola]

Goshdarnit

Oh well, mine has higher nerd-content.

[Bullett]

I thought, that's a bit harsh, 9 years! Then you read what else he has been up to. So is the jail time for he speeding or all the crimes?

the car would have to follow the road, the helicopter can cut corners.

[Swordman]

The guy is a low-life. Should've got a harsher sentence.

[The Nur]

How did Calibrax post before the OP?

eta: probably a thread merge. It all makes so much sense now.

[Bill]

The Nur said:

How did Calibrax post before the OP?

Slight glitch in the PH merging matrix.



Sorry, my fault.

[FoundOnRoadside]

To quote the BBC:

"sparks were seen coming from underneath the car because of the speed at which it was going."

Wut? How does doing 180mph make sparks come out of the car?

[Captain Muppet]

FoundOnRoadside said:

To quote the BBC:

"sparks were seen coming from underneath the car because of the speed at which it was going."

Wut? How does doing 180mph make sparks come out of the car?

Have you not seen the Fast and the Furious? It's the floor plate that comes loose when there is danger to manifold.

[Coldfuse]

I didn't realise the RS5 is worth 85k either

[Council Baby]

aj84 said:

Hopefully it does not belong to anyone here because I'm sure once forensics are done, it will be re-united with the owner...something probably the owner wouldn't want after being ragged like that.

No chance, it was stolen in Auugst and found In January, the insurance company would have paid out, own it afterwards and have disposed of it again ages ago.

[afrochicken]

Captain Muppet said:

FoundOnRoadside said:

To quote the BBC:

"sparks were seen coming from underneath the car because of the speed at which it was going."

Wut? How does doing 180mph make sparks come out of the car?

Have you not seen the Fast and the Furious? It's the floor plate that comes loose when there is danger to manifold.

Don't tell me the lowlife scum managed to blow the welds on the manifold? Now me and the mad scientist got to rip apart the block, and replace the piston rings he fried.

bd.

[FoundOnRoadside]

Guess I should have realised, it's a VAG product, so the undertray would be flapping in the wind. I guess at 180mph the screws would be rubbing the ground...

[McHaggis]

I don't think they were sparks. I think it was the twin exhausts and a thermal camera....

[Robb F]

afrochicken said:

Don't tell me the lowlife scum managed to blow the welds on the manifold? Now me and the mad scientist got to rip apart the block, and replace the piston rings he fried.

bd.

Wonder what the retail is on one of those anyway?

[matthias73]

Looked like the exhausts.

But based on that, we need to get a fast and furious quotes thread going.

[Coldfuse]

Robb F said:

Wonder what the retail is on one of those anyway?

More than you can afford...Pal.

[Quat]

http://news.sky.com/story/976106/jail-for-180mph-r...

They claim it had a Lambo engine - is this them getting the detail wrong?