A 27-year-old man from Sheffield has been sentenced to prison after leading armed police on a dangerous high-speed chase and ramming two police cars before fleeing on foot into nearby woodland.
The incident took place on the night of Saturday 25 April at 11.17pm, when Kai Haddington was seen driving a blue VW Caddy through a red light on Penistone Road, Sheffield.
Armed officers travelling in an unmarked vehicle requested Haddington to stop, but he refused and sped away. During the pursuit, he took excessive risks including running multiple red lights and driving the wrong way down one-way streets.
Police coordinated closely with roads policing units and a dog handler as they attempted to bring Haddington to a safe stop. The situation escalated when Haddington rammed two police vehicles in an effort to avoid capture.
After abandoning his vehicle, Haddington fled on foot into nearby woodland. A police dog tracked him down, and he was arrested hiding in shrubbery.
The chase caused over £20,000 worth of damage to police cars and caused significant distress to the officers involved. Bodycam footage recorded Haddington apologising at the time of his arrest, although police suspected he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Haddington refused to provide a sample to confirm this.
At Sheffield Crown Court on 11 May, Haddington pleaded guilty to the charges. He was sentenced to 14 months’ imprisonment, disqualified from driving for 37 months, and ordered to take an extended driving retest. Additionally, he was ordered to pay £187 in costs.
Originally published by UKNIP.
