Car thief jailed after high-speed chase through Guildford

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

Just after 04:40am on Tuesday, 27 June, 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, obliterating a wooden fence, and crashing into a wall at high speed before he decamped and fled on foot. While police closed in around him, he jumped garden fences and discarded evidence (a sock and a bloodstained glove, likely to prevent leaving fingerprints in the car) 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 also 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. He 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, 27 October at Snaresbrook Crown Court and sentenced 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 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.”