Joshua Joyce, 33, of Upper Rainham Road, was driving a stolen Mazda when ANPR cameras picked up on the number plate at Stanway in Colchester.
When officers tried to stop Joyce, he slalomed through traffic and burst a tyre when he clipped a kerb, Ipswich Crown Court heard on Tuesday (July 29).
Harry Hewitt, prosecuting, said Joyce still managed to hit speeds of 70mph and pushed through the middle of two lanes, causing other drivers to swerve out of the way.
Court – Joshua Joyce was jailed by a judge sitting at Ipswich Crown Court (Image: Daniel Rees, Newsquest) He then turned off the A12 near the Colchester United football stadium and drove the wrong way round a roundabout before travelling on Via Urbis Romanae towards the city centre.
Mr Hewitt said Joyce had control of his vehicle at the time but then swerved and crashed head-on into a Honda Civic.
He said: “It risked the lives of innocent members of the public, including that young child.”
Joyce, who was serving a driving ban at the time of the crash in November 2022, later admitted dangerous driving, failing to stop when required by police, driving while disqualified, and driving without insurance.
He appeared in court supported by his grandmother, and hobbled into the dock because of injuries he suffered when he was the victim of a stabbing in 2024.
Christopher Harding, mitigating, said: “Since he was stabbed, he has changed his outlook both on how he views his life and what he does with his time, in particular trying to start getting away from drug use which has been a very major feature of the offending.”
Explaining why Joyce committed the offence, Mr Harding said: “He told probation he was terrified because of the way he had previously been treated when stopped by the police, but he was at the time intoxicated.
“Then there’s the drug paraphernalia in the vehicle and another man in the car too.
“This defendant does deserve a final chance.”
He said: “You are assessed of causing high risk of physical and psychological harm to members of the public.
“Your history is really quite appalling.”
Joyce must also pay a £187 victim surcharge and serve a three-year driving ban on his release.
