Dangerous Middlesbrough driver crashed stepfather's Tesla

Flynn Robinson sped off at high speed when Cleveland Police officers spotted the car after a family member had raised concerns about his mental wellbeing.

The 23-year-old driver reached speeds in excess of 50mph in a 20mph zone before smashing into the rear of the car as he raced through the streets of Middlesbrough.

Teesside Crown Court heard how Robinson was arrested at the scene and fortunately none of the young children in the Citroen suffered any injuries.

Tabitha Buck, prosecuting, said the defendant ‘accelerated away aggressively’ and the officers almost called off the pursuit due to the reckless style of his driving.

“He tried to overtake vehicles in excess of the speed limit before colliding with the silver Citroen,” she said.

Officers attempted to use a Stinger to bring the high-speed chase to an end but Robinson managed to evade the police.

Miss Buck said the four children in the car were uninjured but the driver suffered whiplash and was now anxious when she was driving or a passenger in a car.

Robinson, of Limetrees Close, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving, driving over the limit for cocaine, driving without insurance and driving without a licence.

Simon Walker, mitigating, said Robinson was taken to a mental health unit following arrest and there was no dispute that he was in the grip of mental health crisis at the time and was suicidal.

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Judge Howard Crowson said: “This was a piece of very dangerous driving and it caused a terrible collision with a car which carried very young children.

“You have had time to think about that but at the time you didn’t because you were in the middle of a crisis.”

Robinson was sentenced to a two-year community order with a 12-month drug referral order attached and 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

He was also ordered to pay £500 compensation to the other driver and banned from driving for two years.