Driver led police on high-speed cross-county chase in Ford Transit stolen in Leeds

North Yorkshire Police tried to pull over Reece North who was behind the wheel of a Ford Transit van late at night on September 28, 2022, suspecting it to be on false plates. The company van belonged to a plastics firm and had been stolen from outside an employee’s home in Armley six days before.

North had been travelling along the M1, crossing the county border with West Yorkshire Police then taking over the pursuit. He reached speeds of up to 95mph in “poor weather conditions”, prosecutor Bashir Ahmed told Leeds Crown Court.

After a 20-minute chase, the car was forced onto a slip road by traffic officers using a tactical manoeuvre. He was arrested and inside the van they found two metal baseball bats and two “machete-type” knives. They also found the original number plates.

North, of Harden Grove, Bradford, also refused to give a sample of breath for a drink-driving test. He was later dealt with for that single offence, receiving an 18-month driving ban.

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Having been taken to the police station, the 25-year-old refused to answer questions during his interview. He later admitted dangerous driving, handling stolen goods, possessing an offensive weapon and possessing a bladed article. He also admitted failing to answer bail after he did not turn up for a previous court appearance.

As a result, he was arrested and held on remand, appearing in court via video link from HMP Nottingham.

He has nine previous convictions for 14 offences, including breaches of court orders. Mitigating, Andrew Petterson said of North’s failure to attend court that he was arrested at his home address rather than “fleeing”. He said: “He was unprepared to face the consequences of his actions.”

Judge Mushtaq Khokhar told North: “You are not someone who complies with court orders. While the piece of driving is not the worst I have seen or heard about in these courts, nevertheless, the conditions were poor at the time - it had been raining and there was limited visibility.”

He jailed him for 11 months, and gave him a 17-month driving ban which will run consecutively to his existing ban. He will also need to take an extended driving test to get his licence back.