Dramatic moment banned BMW driver goes off-road as police chase him along river bank – but he still avoids jail

• Josh Lake, 30, was chased by police along the edge of the River Nene near Sutton Bridge 
• He plead guilty to five charges in Lincoln Crown Court and Magistrates Court

Dramatic dash-cam footage shows the moment a reckless BMW driver led police on a dangerous off-road chase, yet managed to still avoided any jail time. 

Josh Lake, 30, was captured on camera hurtling through rough grass just metres away from the river Nene edge in Sutton Bridge Port, Lincs on July 2. 

He had been spotted on the A17 driving with fake plates, but had refused to pull over instead speeding off down narrow country lanes. 

Lake, who does not have a drivers license, was finally brought to a stop after a 20-minute chase when officers used a stinger device to deflate the tyres of his silver X3 BMW.

Police found two other people in the car, a woman and a man, both in their 20s, who Lake put ‘at significant risk’.

Lake plead guilty to five charges; dangerous driving, disqualified driving, driving without insurance, fail to stop and possession of a controlled drug.

He was fined £50 for failing to stop at Lincoln Magistrates Court.

And at Lincoln Crown Court on Tuesday he was handed an eight month sentence, suspended for two years for dangerous driving and banned from driving for 18 months.

He got a four-month suspended sentence for disqualified driving and a two month suspended sentence for possession of a controlled drug.

Josh Lake, 30, was captured on camera hurtling through rough grass just metres away from the river Nene edge in Sutton Bridge Port, Lincs on July 2

Inspector Carrie Diamond, Armed Roads Policing, Lincolnshire Police, said: ‘Our officers are highly trained in pursuit driving, they constantly assess the risk to other road users and themselves.

‘This driver didn’t have a full driving licence, he’s never passed a test and was disqualified already; he put his passengers at great risk and anyone else who may have been using the roads.

‘We will always target drivers who should not be on the roads.

‘Drivers who are not qualified, drivers who take risks with no thought to others or the injuries they may cause, and drivers who use our roads to commit crime, whether that’s by driving while disqualified, dangerously, or to break into someone’s house or premises; they will always be our focus.’

A Lincolnshire Police spokesperson added: ‘We’re sharing some footage of the pursuit from the driver’s body worn video to demonstrate the challenges faced and professionalism shown by our officers when responding to this type of incident.

‘As the pursuit continued, he showed no regard for anyone else that may have been using the roads, coming in the other direction, or other road users such as pedal cyclists.’

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