The police officer involved in a chase which resulted in a young dad-to-be being killed fought back tears as he insisted he had no 'vendetta' against the teenager. 

PC Paul Jackson was driving a Durham Constabulary BMW on October 18, 2019, when wanted 19-year-old Kelvin Bainbridge led him on a six-minute pursuit around Spennymoor.

The chase ended in tragedy when Bainbridge, who had earlier discovered he was to have a baby boy, jumped from his car while it was still moving, and the car PC Jackson was driving ploughed into him. He died of a blunt head injury.  

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Last week Suzanne Bainbridge, Kelvin’s mum, told an inquest she believed PC Jackson had a “vendetta” against her son, while dad Troy told how Kelvin had previously said he thought Jackson wanted to kill him.

Giving evidence on Monday (September 25) Officer Jackson fought back tears as he insisted, he had no vendetta against Bainbridge.

The Northern Echo: PC Paul JacksonPC Paul Jackson (Image: DURHAM CONSTABULARY)

The tearful officer said: “I had no vendetta against Kelvin Bainbridge.

“He didn’t feature any higher in my professional life that any other person I would deal with.

“Beyond responding to a situation as one of a number of officers I had no vendetta and never went above or beyond to try and catch Kelvin.”

Crook Coroners Court heard Jackson had taken part in hundreds of pursuits prior to chasing down Kelvin that afternoon and that he’d only ever had one suspect jump from a moving car.

PC Jackson said he didn’t see Kelvin Bainbridge getting out of his car, and didn’t notice him until he was falling in front of the BMW.

“The first I became aware he was falling in front of my car. That’s the first time I saw him,” he added.

He said he had moved to the driver’s side of Kelvin’s Nissan Primera, which the teen had bought the previous day, in a bid to avoid potentially being reversed rammed when he saw it break heavily.

He then hoped to block a possible escape path from the Nissan to an alleyway.

The Northern Echo: The scene of the incident where Bainbridge's car collided with the wall. To the right is an alleyway PC Jackson says he was trying to block off.The scene of the incident where Bainbridge's car collided with the wall. To the right is an alleyway PC Jackson says he was trying to block off. (Image: NNP)

But Senior Assistant Coroner for Durham and Darlington Crispin Oliver suggested he took “high risk” strategy.

Mr Oliver asked: “Do you agree with me it was a pretty high-risk strategy to take? Or are you satisfied it was correct?”

Jackson said he felt he was correct and said, “I stand by my decision”. He added that the idea of Kelvin jumping from the car before it stopped “didn’t even enter [his] head”.

But Jamie Burton KC, lawyer for the family, said Bainbridge had decamped from vehicles on three previous occasions since the April of that year. Jackson said he was not aware of these instances.

The Northern Echo: Kelvin BainbridgeKelvin Bainbridge (Image: FAMILY)

He has not taken part in a police chase since and is no longer in a front-facing role – he now trains officers coming into the force.

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He continued: “It’s horrible being involved in a pursuit.

“When you’re involved in a pursuit it’s a horrible feeling in the pit of your stomach and all you want them to do is stop and you constantly think ‘do I stop or keep going?’.

“I made all the right calls.”