Van driver jailed for causing thousands in damage to police cars in M4 Prince of Wales bridge chase

  • The moment police rammed the van and stopped it on the Prince of Wales bridge

A van driver has been jailed for causing more than £55,000 of damage to police cars during a high-speed chase across the Prince of Wales Bridge.

Matthew Woody-Jones, a renderer from Bristol, crashed into four Gwent Police cars as he tried to flee officers in the early hours of Thursday 6 April.

Police dash-cam footage was played in court and showed the defendant’s silver Ford Transit van swerving across three lanes.

It was a 12-mile police chase that began just after 1.24am, as the father, 34, headed towards Pontypool. Credit: Gwent Police/PA

Mr Woody-Jones was banned from driving at the time of the chase, Cardiff Crown Court heard on Monday.

He also had 33 convictions for 68 offences, including three previous convictions for driving while disqualified.

Officers tried to stop Woody-Jones a number of times but he refused to pull over and began driving dangerously towards Newport and the Prince of Wales Bridge.

The van driver slammed the brakes on and tried to drive the wrong way, Prosecutor Martha Smith-Higgins said. Credit: Gwent Police/PA

Prosecutor Martha Smith-Higgins said police attempted manoeuvres to box Woody-Jones in while on the bridge, heading for Bristol.

She said: “The van then slammed its brakes on during the course of the stretch of the Prince of Wales Bridge before attempting to drive the wrong way.

“Officers reversed to block the van, but as they did so this defendant drove forward again.

“As he did, he collided with a number of police cars as he made off."

In total, the damage to the vehicles cost the Gwent Police Force £56,416.58.

The clips showed wet driving conditions and Woody-Jones was said to be driving between 60-80 miles per hour. Credit: Gwent Police/PA

Defending Woody-Jones, Rhodri Chudleigh said his client had a number of financial pressures due to the rent of his family home being increased from £900 to £1,400 and he “panicked” when he saw the police cars due to his previous convictions.

Woody-Jones claimed he had been returning from visiting a friend when he saw officers following him and said he wanted to reach England so that if he was remanded into custody, he would be closer to home.

He pleaded guilty to the offences at Newport Magistrates’ Court on 8 April and was remanded into custody.

He was charged with dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and causing criminal damage to the four vehicles. Credit: Gwent Police/PA

Recorder Andrew Hammond sentenced Woody-Jones to 16 months in prison and banned him from driving for an additional two years and eight months, calling the footage “truly shocking”.

“You placed these police officers in a desperately dangerous situation through the way in which you drove where they had to take controlled but drastic action to bring this pursuit to an end,” he said.

“You displayed a complete disregard for the safety of those officers and other road users and drove in a way which truly was dangerous.”

Superintendent Mike Richards, from Gwent Police, said: “Officers following his van used several tactics designed to keep motorists safe, including keeping his van on the M4 and away from public or residential areas.

“As he was disqualified from driving, he simply should not have been using a vehicle on the motorway that night."

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