Deeping man jailed after leading police on 110mph pursuit

Tracy Hercules was driving a Mercedes Benz in the Spalding area when a police car approached with its blue flashing lights and siren on.

The police vehicle was on its way to an unrelated incident but Hercules mistakenly believed that it was him that the officers were interested in and sped off.

Edna Leonard, prosecuting, said Hercules pulled out in front of the police car and then drove at 110 mph in a 60 limit area in a bid to get away.

Miss Leonard said Hercules was then involved in a 25-minute pursuit along the A16 at Surfleet, onto Hop Pole and Deeping St Nicholas and then onto the A1175.

He twice went through red traffic lights and caused other drivers to take evasive action to avoid a collision.

At one point he smashed into a traffic bollard while turning right and damaged his vehicle.

Smoke was coming from the tyres but Hercules continued driving at high-speed going through Baston at 60 mph in a 30-limit area causing fear to two pedestrians.

Police deployed a stinger device in a bid to stop him but he drove through it and again reached 100 mph before losing control of his car and ending up in a ditch.

Hercules emerged from the car uninjured and was arrested soon afterwards.

The court was told that Hercules had previous convictions for driving without a licence and driving with no insurance.

As a result of the incident on 8 March this year Hercules, 22, of Wellington Way, Market Deeping, admitted charges of dangerous driving, having no licence, having no insurance and possession of a small amount of cannabis found in his car.

He was jailed for eight months and banned from driving for 22 months.

Recorder Charles Falk, passing sentence, told him “This was seriously bad driving.

“You put your life in danger, the lives of police officers in danger and the lives of members of the public in danger.

“It is aggravated because you were not insured and have never passed a driving test. You were not entitled to drive a car yet you had purchased this car.”

Leanne Summers, in mitigation, said Hercules’s mother died when he was 12 and he had no contact at that time with his father.

By the age of 15 he was living on his own in rented accommodation and she told the court “He had to find his own way and sometimes in doing so he has not made the best decisions.”

Miss Summers said that Hercules later moved in with his partner and her family which gave him stability but at the time of the incident had moved out.

She said Hercules is now back living with his partner and they are expecting a child later this year.

“He is now working as a landscape gardener. There is a support network in place that was lacking for him as a child. He is remorseful and willing to engage with the probation service.”