Man, 33, jailed for dangerous driving and handling stolen goods in the New Forest

A 33-year-old man from Ringwood has been jailed for 24 weeks and disqualified from driving for more than two years after admitting to dangerous driving and handling stolen goods.

Thomas Harold Coker, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to the offences and was sentenced when he appeared at Southampton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 8 January.

It follows an incident in Calmore shortly after 11pm on Friday 14 November 2024, in which Coker was the subject of a pursuit by officers from the New Forest Neighbourhood Enforcement Team (NET).

At the time of the incident, Coker was driving a stolen silver Ford Transit. He failed to stop for police, despite requests for him to do so.

The pursuit only came to an end when Coker left the road crashed into a road sign on the A36 Salisbury Road. The vehicle eventually came to rest on a verge, next to bushes.

As well as the time he will now spend behind bars, Coker will not be able to drive again for 109 weeks. He has also been ordered to pay a £154 victim surcharge.

PC Rich Diggins, of the New Forest NET, said: “I am extremely pleased to see that Coker has been held accountable for his actions that evening.

“He has been placed behind bars and will now have time to contemplate the consequences of those actions.

“The manner of his driving that night put all road users at risk. Thankfully, no innocent members of the public were hurt in the incident, and fortunately for Coker, his injuries as a result of the collision were not more serious.

“I hope the imprisonment and driving ban here will send a message to others thinking of doing similar.

“Rest assured, we and our colleagues in other departments will continue to work tirelessly to ensure the roads are safe for all, and that means dealing with offenders like Coker and getting them before the courts.”