Escaped prisoner forced off the road as he tries to drive wrong way down M3
A PRISONER caught on camera trying to drive the wrong way down a motorway while fleeing police has been jailed for two years.
Darryl Dempsey, 22, from Eastbourne, admitted dangerous driving at Southampton Crown Court.
Hampshire police said he absconded from Ford prison in West Sussex on July 3.
He was spotted driving an Izuzu Trooper vehicle on the evening of July 13 by traffic cops on the M271 near the junction with the M27.
Fleeing from officers, Dempsey drove across fields, on footpaths and even tried to drive down the wrong way of the M3.
A police officer forced Dempsey off the road, ending the 13-minute chase in Chilworth just before 10.30pm.
Dempsey, who admitted escaping from lawful custody, driving whilst disqualified and criminal damage, was jailed for two years on top of his current sentence.
He was banned from driving for five years and 24 weeks, with an extended test to be taken after that time, and ordered to pay a £140 victim surcharge.
Chief Inspector Mark Lewis, from the Joint Roads Policing Unit, said: 'Thanks to the bravery and courage of our highly-trained officers this pursuit ended without injury and with the man responsible detained.
'If Dempsey had not been stopped at that point, he would have got onto the M3, driving the wrong way, which would have been potentially fatal for him and any other innocent road users.
'Our roads policing officers are specially trained to carry out a range of different tactics, such as the one used in this incident, in order to stop those posing a danger to others.
'I am proud of the actions our officers took that day, putting themselves in harm’s way for the protection of others.'