He tried to flee from two police forces and a police helicopter
A disqualified driver who drove at 120mph whilst trying to evade two police forces and a police helicopter, whilst also using drugs, has been jailed.
Michael Thomas Stack, aged 23 and of Severn Road in Weston-super-Mare, had failed to stop for an officer on Sunday, April 13.
Officers from the Roads Policing Unit were patrolling the M5 in an unmarked car when the on-board system flagged that the registered driver of a BMW travelling in front had recently been disqualified from driving.
When the BMW left the motorway, PC Merchant activated his lights and sirens in an attempt to pull Stack over.
He initially complied before driving off once officers exited their vehicle and it was at this point that a pursuit ensued.
Video released by Gloucestershire Police, using footage from the vehicle pursuit and footage from the National Police Air Service, shows Stack dangerously swerving between other vehicles.
During the pursuit Stack regularly put other motorists at risk by driving his BMW at speed, going through red traffic lights and undertaking on the hard shoulder of the motorway.
The pursuit, which covered the B4059 in Tortworth, residential roads, country lanes and the M5, M4 and M32 motorways, ended when Stack drove into a dead end road and ran off.
Michael Thomas Stack, 23 and of Weston-super-Mare.(Image: Gloucestershire Police)
Officers followed Stack, with support from Avon and Somerset Police and the National Police Air Service, before detaining and arresting him.
It was found that Stack had been disqualified from driving for 12 months on March 25, just weeks before the incident took place.
Stack was charged and later pleaded guilty to driving a motor vehicle dangerously, driving a motor vehicle otherwise than in accordance with a license, using a motor vehicle without third party insurance, driving whilst disqualified and possession of a Class A drug.
He was released under investigation in connection with drugs offences to allow for blood work to take place.
The blood results have since come back and show that the level of cocaine in Stack’s system was over three times the legal limit with the level of benzoylecgonine, which is a cocaine breakdown, being nearly five times the limit.
As a result Stack was additionally charged and pleaded guilty to two counts of driving a vehicle with a concentration of specified controlled drug above the specified limit namely cocaine and benzoylecgonine.
Stack appeared at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court last week (Friday, May 2) where he was sentenced to 12 months in prison and disqualified from driving for four years and six months.
He must take an extended driving test at the end of the driving ban and was ordered to pay £272 in court costs.
In mitigation Stack’s lawyer stated that he admitted to having a drugs problem and committed the offences because he was going through a hard time and wanted to escape.
He vowed to never take drugs again.
At the conclusion of sentencing PC Laurie Merchant from the Roads Policing Unit said: “Stack endangered innocent roads users and took risks that could have cost lives – all because he decided to drive despite not legally being able to.
“I hope this court case will act as a deterrent to those who think they can drive dangerously or copy Stack’s actions and get away with it.
“Reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads is a priority for Gloucestershire Constabulary and we want to ensure the county’s roads are safe for all.”