Byron Lucas-Parsons, 23, of Goddard Road was sentenced at Salisbury Magistrates Court yesterday (08/01) following an incident in May last year.

He had already pleaded guilty to the offences at a previous hearing on November 20, 2023.

On May 8, 2023 Lucas-Parsons was spotted by police driving at speed through Pewsey High Street just after 4.30am, while it was still dark, with no lights on. The driver failed to stop when asked by a marked police vehicle and a pursuit took place. The vehicle stopped on Marlborough Road and the driver attempted to decamp but then got back into the vehicle. The police officer fired a taser at Lucas-Parsons before he reversed at speed and crashed into a sign. Lucas-Parsons got out and ran towards the woodland.

Police Dog Conan attended the scene and was used to track Lucas-Parsons down, who admitted he was the driver.

Lucas-Parsons was sentenced to 24 weeks imprisonment suspended for 18 months, disqualified from driving for 18 months, ordered to carry out 6 months of drug rehabilitation, up to 12 days of Rehabilitation Activity Requirement,to pay £154 surcharge and £85 to the Crown Prosecution Service.

PC Ben Greening said: “Lucas-Parsons did everything in his power to evade police, driving off at speed despite officers requesting him to stop and then running away from police. It was down to the great work by PD Conan and his handler that we located him in his hiding place.

Drug driving is one of our fatal five offences because we know it hugely increases your risk of a crash. Fortunately, nobody was injured or worse killed as a result of Lucas-Parsons’ selfish and mindless actions. If a driver kills someone while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, they can be charged with causing death by careless driving and the maximum penalty is life imprisonment.

Wiltshire Police is targeting drivers committing ‘fatal five’ offences including:

• driving whilst using a mobile phone
• drink/drug driving
• driving at excess speed
• failing to wear a seatbelt
• careless driving.