Drug driver went wrong way down dual carriageway which led to police car being written off

Two police officers spotted Wayne Flecknell (32) speeding in a Kia in Newnham Road, near Lammas Land, Cambridge, on January 20.

The officers indicated for him to stop but he continued onto Barton Road where he drove at almost 80mph, despite the 30 limit.

In Grantchester village he went through no entry signs and drove the wrong way along a one-way road before ignoring red traffic lights in Shelford Road where he went at almost 90mph through the 30mph limit.

Having driven through another two sets of red traffic lights, he pulled out onto the A505 and drove the wrong way along the dual carriageway towards Sawston, at which point officers made tactical contact, bringing their car up alongside the Kia, as the pursuit was becoming too dangerous. This brought him to a stop and caused the police vehicle to be written off.

Flecknell was arrested and a roadside drugs wipe tested positive for cannabis and cocaine. Officers also found the Kia belonged to his girlfriend’s da and he was not insured to drive it.

On Tuesday at Cambridge Crown Court Flecknell, of Wiles Close, Waterbeach, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, failure to stop, two counts of drug driving and driving without insurance. He was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment and disqualified from driving for 42 months.

PC John Mayor said: “There is no doubt Flecknell was prepared to do whatever it took to get away from police with no regard whatsoever for other members of the public or the passengers in his car. The standard of his driving fell considerably below that of a careful and competent driver.

“This was 15 minutes of deliberate, dangerous driving which could have had catastrophic consequences had it not been stopped when it was.”