Dangerous driver banned after fleeing from police at more than 130mph

The driver initially denied that it was him – he told police he was at the gym with his friend

A man who reached speeds of over 130mph during a police pursuit has been banned from driving. Morgan Sapsford-Howard, 20, was driving a red Ford Fiesta on March 11 at around 9.25pm along the A11 at Thetford.

The 20-year-old’s car caught the police’s attention when he dangerously forced his way past a coach on a roundabout, narrowly avoiding a crash, before accelerating away at significant speed.

Officers followed Sapsford-Howard, illuminating his lights and sirens and asking him to stop. However, Sapsford-Howard failed to stop and fled from police at speeds of up to 139mph.

Throughout the pursuit, he turned his lights on and off to make himself less visible to police. Once he left the main roads and entered East Harling, his manner of driving was deemed to be extremely dangerous, presenting a risk to the public and the pursuit was ended as it was unable to continue safely.

After an appeal, Sapsford-Howard was identified as the driver. He was spotted in Norwich days later and arrested on March 19 on suspicion of dangerous driving and failing to stop.

He was taken to Wymondham Police Investigation Centre for questioning, where he initially denied the charges, claiming that it could not have been him as he was at the gym with his friend and having dinner.

He was shown evidence from his phone which had tracked his route that evening, as well as footage of his vehicle in the Thetford area on that night. He later admitted to both offences.

Sapsford-Howard, of Bunwell Road, Attleborough, appeared at Norwich Magistrates Court on Wednesday (August 19) and was disqualified from driving for 18 months. He was also ordered to pay £429 in fines and costs and must also complete a rehabilitation activity requirement and 250 hours of unpaid work.

Investigating officer, PC Richard Roe said: “Sapsford-Howard’s actions that night were incredibly dangerous and could very easily have resulted in serious injury or loss of life. Driving at speeds approaching 140mph, ignoring police signals to stop, and deliberately making himself less visible shows a complete disregard for the safety of other road users.

“His behaviour in both high-speed roads and residential areas put countless people at risk, and it is sheer luck that no one was harmed. This sentence should serve as a clear reminder that such reckless decisions have serious consequences and will not be tolerated.”