160 mph driver shown mercy

A businessman who reached the take-off speed of a passenger jet in his sports car to outpace police chasing him was spared jail yesterday.

Officers estimated that during a chase on a wet dual carriageway at night, Tobias Baker, 34, drove his Aston Martin Vantage at 160mph, the take-off speed of a fully loaded Boeing 757.

But after Baker admitted dangerous driving yesterday, a judge showed mercy on him after he claimed he would be unable to care for his sick wife if he was jailed.

Judge John Devaux told Baker:

“Happily there was no accident as a result of your driving and there was therefore no actual damage or physical injury to anyone.”

So that’s alright then…

The sentence has outraged road-safety campaigners, however.

Caroline Perry, of road charity Brake, said: “This person has shown a blatant disregard for the safety of others and could easily have killed someone.”

Chief Inspector Andy Dawson, of Suffolk Police, described Baker’s speed as “quite extraordinary”.

He said after the case: “It is disappointing to see that this man drove in such a hugely irresponsible fashion. It is lucky that he did not seriously injure or kill himself or others.”

However, if you are a male defendant appearing before Judge Devaux having been convicted of an offence which would normally result in imprisonment, it helps to have a wife who really needs you.