A driver travelled the wrong way down a dual carriageway and hit 100mph in 20mph zones. Dale Broome, 29, of Uplands Avenue, Portobello, Wolverhampton, was more than twice the drink drive limit when he led police on a pursuit in North Wales.
He was only stopped when his car got stuck in mud on an embankment. He appeared at Caernarfon Crown Court on Thursday, January 9, after he admitted five driving offences. He was jailed for 16 months and has been disqualified from driving for four years and eight months.
The judge presiding over the case said that it was the “worst example of dangerous driving” she saw that did not result in a death or serious injury. Prosecutor Michael Whitty said an off duty detective had been at an event in St Asaph last December 9 and was driving his BMW car on the A55 to his home at 9.30pm.
He tried to overtake an HGV but heard cracking sounds and was shunted from behind. It was the defendant – Broome – squeezing his silver Ford Focus car between the HGV and the BMW, the court heard.
The off-duty detective used his training to stay calm and noted the registration plate before reporting it to the force. Two hours later at 11.45pm another police officer spotted the car on Wellington Road in Rhyl. The officer drove after Broome towards Bodelwyddan as Broome reached 100mph in 20mph zones, the court heard. Eventually in St Asaph the defendant entered the A525 northbound carriageway while travelling south, reports North Wales Live.
The officer drove in the correct direction then saw the Ford Focus near The Talardy Hotel roundabout where he resumed his pursuit. Later the Focus was seen entering the westbound carriageway of the A55 but travelling eastwards. Finally Broome drove off the A55 near Caerwys. Yet another officer drove after him and when he stopped at an embankment pulled his Taser.
Broome left his vehicle with his hands in the air, said Mr Whitty. He gave a reading of being more than twice the drink drive limit. “The lack of a serious or fatal collision was down to little more than sheer luck,” added Mr Whitty.
Joshua Gorst, defending, said the defendant had panicked and his driving had been “extremely dangerous”. “He understands just how lucky he was that this was not even worse”. Broome later admitted: “I can’t believe I was so stupid. I need to grow up.”
The judge, Her Honour Nicola Jones told the defendant: “It’s quite frankly a miracle that no-one was seriously injured or killed as a result of your actions that night. This is the worst example of dangerous driving I have ever seen which has not resulted in death or serious injury.”
The judge jailed Broome for 16 months for dangerous driving, and there were also two, four-month jail terms for driving whilst disqualified and failing to stop, both to run concurrently to the main sentence. While Broome admitted to driving with excess alcohol and driving with no insurance, no separate penalties for those offences were given. Broome was banned from driving for four years and eight months and must pass an extended retest.
Broome was one of almost 200 drivers arrested by North Wales Police in December, when the force was taking part in a national policing operation, Op Limit aimed at reducing fatal and serious road traffic collisions and protecting road users. The yearly campaign, which ran between December 1, 2024 to January 1, 2025, recorded 66 arrests across North Wales for drink-driving while another 108 were apprehended for drug-driving.
Those arrested on suspicion of drug driving were aged between 17 and 71-years-old, whereas those arrested on suspicion of drink driving were aged between 20-years-old and 78-years-old.
Sergeant Emma Birrell, who led on the campaign on behalf of the Roads Crime Unit at North Wales Police said: “We have a zero-tolerance approach to drink and drug driving all year round, but our December campaign saw us conducting extensive patrols across the region. This included targeting hot spot areas and conducting intelligence-led stops. Officers were also out across the region carrying out proactive stops where they were met with thanks from the majority of those who had been stopped.”
She added: “Driving under the influence means motorists take risks every time they get behind the wheel of a car. They put themselves and others at risk. Drink and drug driving ruins the lives of individuals and communities and it is completely avoidable.
“We will continue to do all that we can to tackle drink driving but we’d ask the public to support us. If you know of, or suspect someone of drink or drug driving, let us know. We’ll use that information to direct our patrols to identified ‘hotspots’, to catch offenders and take them off our roads.”