Gateshead footballer smashed Range Rover into car during police chase then ran off
A footballer led police on a dangerous chase around residential streets before smashing into a parked car and running off.
Gary Madine from Gateshead has played for clubs including Sheffield Wednesday, Bolton Wanderers and Blackpool.
Newcastle Crown Court has heard how he behaved in a "ridiculously stupid" way in the early hours of the morning on 3 April this year.
Police were on patrol in Birtley, Gateshead when they were called to reports of a disturbance. Locals had complained about a group of men in a Range Rover.
Madine had been driving erratically on tight streets with a number of parked cars when he crashed into another car, knocking a post box over.
He then tried to continue driving but was unable to do so due to the damage. He then got out and ran off, along with his passenger.
As the registered owner of the car, police were able to trace him. However he failed to respond to a notice requesting information on who was driving at the time.
Mark Atkins, prosecuting, said: "The vehicle began to make off and ignored instructions by the police to stop. The police officer got into his car and followed the defendant and activated his blue lights and siren.
"During the police pursuit, he drove dangerously. There's footage of the pursuit from the dash cam of the police car.
"During the chase, the defendant collided with a white Ford Focus parked outside a house. on a path. The impact of that crash caused a post box to be knocked over and caused damage to the Ford and the Range Rover."
The 33-year-old has four previous convictions for violence but a clean driving licence. He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, failing to stop after an accident, failing to stop for police and failing to provide information regarding the driver of a vehicle.
He was handed a six month suspended prison sentence for dangerous driving, 250 hours unpaid work and a 12 month driving ban. He will also have to sit an extended test to regain his licence.
The judge said: "It's a mystery why people in your position do this, I suspect you made off from the police because you didn't want to be breathalysed but I disregard that, the circumstances of this are bad enough.
"I'm impressed with the pre-sentence report and character references and the letter you have written yourself. You described this as an act of stupidity. It's fortunate it didn't result in worse damage or injury to other people."
Shaun Routledge, defending, said Madine had "panicked", adding: "2023 has been a difficult year for him, his relationship of some years ending and he suffered a serious injury which led to nine months of rehabilitation and not being able to perform the job he has done for many years. He was feeling very low in April."
Mr Routledge said Madine's "profession depends on his full recovery", adding: "There are offers from other clubs. Blackpool have been very supportive in terms of rehab. It may be he gets a way back into what he has done all his adult life but he may not.
"He realises what he did was ridiculously stupid."
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