Taxi Driver Online

THE JOURNAL (Newcastle, UK)

July 27, 2006 Thursday

HEADLINE: Driver in chase is jailed

BYLINE: By The Journal

A driver sparked a high-speed chase after taking his father's taxi from outside his home. Ross Orde was already on bail when he made off with the Ford Mondeo in the early morning after taking the keys from the house.

He sped away when police went to speak to him after he negotiated a roundabout too quickly in North Shields and a chase ended only when he skidded and collided with a metal fence. Orde, who was already a disqualified driver and claimed he had drunk three to four pints of lager, finally handed over the keys to the car which was severely damaged.

In a victim impact statement, Orde's father told how at the time he had only been back at work five weeks after 10 months recovering from a quadruple heart by-pass. As a result of the accident he was unable to work.

At Newcastle Crown Court yesterday, Orde, 22, of Bewicke Road, Wallsend, admitted aggravated vehicle taking, driving while disqualified, having no insurance and failing to provide a specimen in June this year. He was jailed for 18 months and given nine months consecutive for an unrelated robbery he admitted.
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