A shoplifter stole more than £1,000 of goods and then led police on a 100mph pursuit.
Florin Cristea, 28, was spotted by officers from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Hertfordshire Road Policing Unit on the northbound A1 near Brampton at about 4pm on May 20 after reports of the car being involved in shoplifting earlier in the day.
Some of the stolen items found in the Meriva
The officers got behind the black Vauxhall Meriva and signalled for him to stop but Cristea accelerated, reaching 100mph between junctions 15 for Sawtry and 16 for Yaxley and 105mph as he approached junction 17 for Peterborough.
Cristea continued to drive north on the A1, entering an 40mph average speed section at 80mph and undertaking other road users.
At about 4.30pm, Cristea suddenly braked hard and swerved into a lay-by near Tickencote, north of Stamford, just as officers were beginning to use tactics to bring the pursuit to a safe conclusion.
Cristea admitted to being a disqualified driver and having no insurance, with a further inspection of his car finding nearly £600 of items stolen from Home Bargains, in Cambourne, earlier in the day.
Further enquiries found Cristea had gone to Aldi, in Chatteris, on April 1 at about 2pm, filled a trolley with washing detergent, toothpaste and coffee worth £876.00 and left without paying.
Some of the stolen items found in the Meriva
On Monday (19 June), at Peterborough Crown Court, Cristea, of Northfield Road, Peterborough, was jailed for one year and four months, having pleaded guilty to two counts of theft, driving whilst disqualified, driving with no insurance and dangerous driving.
Investigating Officer PC Steve Robinson said: “If Cristea had actually stopped when asked, he could have avoided a dangerous driving charge. Instead, he chose to put innocent drivers at risk before he was arrested and brought to justice.”
Some of the stolen items found in the Meriva and a custody image of Florin Cristea.
