Car Thief Jailed – Dramatic Police Video of High-speed Chase and Crash in Jacob’s Well

Published on: 6 Nov, 2023
Updated on: 7 Nov, 2023

A 23-year-old man from Romford is behind bars after a high-speed vehicle chase through Guildford in June.

The chase was caught by police dashcams and the following video has today been released.

Just after 4.40am on Tuesday, June 27, the owner of a blue Range Rover heard his car start on the driveway of his home in Guildford.

Looking out of the window, he saw his car being driven away along Winterhill Way. He instantly called police, while his partner rushed outside and jumped in her car to give chase, before flagging down a police car on Clay Lane.

Officers flooded the area to search for the stolen car and located it on Jacob’s Well Road. When an officer parked his car in front of the Range Rover to try and prevent it getting away, the driver rammed the police car and made off at speed. Officers located it again on Woking Road and gave chase along Jacob’s Well Road and Clay Lane.

Shortly afterwards, the driver lost control of the car on Blanchard’s Hill, in Jacob’s Well, obliterating a wooden fence, and crashing into a wall at high speed before he decamped and fled on foot.

The end of the chase – the driver loses control and the car takes off crashing into a fence.

While police closed in around him, the fleeing driver jumped garden fences and discarded evidence (a sock and a bloodstained glove, likely used to prevent leaving fingerprints) in his efforts to escape, before being detained by police as he stumbled out of a driveway.

Mohamed Chand, 23, of Gorseway, Romford, was arrested for multiple offences, including theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous driving, criminal damage, and driving whilst unfit. He was taken to hospital as a precaution.

He was later charged with aggravated vehicle taking (covering the dangerous driving and criminal damage offences), driving without insurance, and failing to provide a specimen for analysis following a collision and was remanded to attend Guildford Magistrates Court on Wednesday, 28 June, where he pleaded guilty to all offences and was remanded pending sentencing.

Chand was sentenced on Friday, October 27, at Snaresbrook Crown Court to a total of 10 months imprisonment to run concurrently: six months for possession of a bladed article, and four months for aggravated vehicle taking without consent.

He was also disqualified from driving for 19 months and 19 days, and endorsements were imposed on his driving licence for no insurance and failing to provide a specimen. A victim surcharge of £187 was also imposed.

Investigating officer PC Tom Hinch said: “Chand’s action could have caused serious injury to himself or someone else. This is an example of great proactive work by our frontline officers. Keyless vehicle thefts are a growing trend however we will continue to deal robustly with these offences and target offenders in our area.”