Town centre danger driver jailed by judge

Michael Sephton, 34, was also banned from the roads for three-and-a-half years after an extended police pursuit, captured on camera in the early hours of a Sunday morning.

Dascham footage shows police officers on a mobile patrol, just after 3,30am, beginning to tail Sephton’s vehicle on Holden Road.

The disqualified driver is seen to veer off towards Hope Street, with the police car still following before, turning into Orchard Lane and Leigh Road, heading into the town centre.

Sephton’s car is shown driving through red lights at the Bradshawgate and Railway Road, and King Street, Spinning Jenny Way and Twist Lane junctions before continuing along St Helens Road towards Pennington.

Police confirmed that Sephton was later pulled over on Atherleigh Way and arrested.

He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and having no insurance when he appeared later at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates Court.

He was also facing a charge of failing to stop for a police officer but this was withdrawn by the prosecution.

Sephton was committed for sentence to Bolton Crown Court, where he was dealt with by Judge Elliott Knopf.

Speaking after Sephton’s initial arrest, Pc Matt Picton, who works with the road policing unit covering Leigh, said: “This kind of driving is totally unacceptable.

“It puts the public in danger and the officers who are attempting to stop them.

“Fortunately no-one was hurt but driving through a town centre and through red lights, things could have been very different.

“This is some of the work traffic officers undertake on a daily basis. We will always look to prosecute these people and to place them before the courts at every opportunity. They have no place on our roads.”

Earlier this year Sephton, then of Lulworth Drive, Hindley Green, was jailed for 14 weeks by Wigan and Leigh magistrates for driving while disqualified and possession of a lock knife.

He was also found to be in breach of a suspended sentence order, which had been imposed by the courts for driving while banned last November.