Two jailed after Hungerford car chase and hours-long manhunt

Two men have been jailed after the stolen car they were in hit speeds of up 120mph in a police pursuit before a manhunt took place to find them.

Police had to deploy a stinger to stop a BMW X1 on the A36 in Farleigh at around 03:45 GMT on 1 October 2022.

Driver Kyle Marshall, 19, and passengers Finley Phillips, 18, and a 17-year-old boy were inside the car.

Marshall and Phillips were sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on 19 January after admitting a number of offences.

The court heard how Avon and Somerset Police were alerted to the car as it left the force area for Wiltshire.

False plates

The road policing unit then put a plan in place for when the car re-entered the force area, later spotting the vehicle in the early hours of the morning near Hungerford.

Suspecting it had false number plates, officers tried to stop the car but said the driver failed to pull over.

Following a short car chase, where police said the car reached speeds of more than 120mph, a tactical stinger was deployed and the four tyres of the BMW were deflated.

Marshall, Phillips and the 17 year old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, then ran off into fields and woodland where they were pursued by dog unit officers.

They were later detained but the search for them lasted several hours.

The car was later found to be bearing false number plates and had been stolen in Herefordshire.

'Great result'

Marshall was jailed for three years and nine months, after pleading guilty to a series of charges, including theft of a motor vehicle and aggravated vehicle taking without consent.

Phillips, of Sherrin Way, Withywood, who admitted a range of charges including aggravated vehicle taking without consent, was sentenced to one year and seven months.

The 17-year-old passenger had been charged with a number of offences that also included aggravated vehicle taking without consent.

He was handed a youth order at Yeovil Youth Court at the end of last year.

Insp Steve Davey, of Operation Remedy, said: "This was a great result following a large amount of hard work by officers both on the day and in the aftermath.

"We have been able to reunite the victims with some of their belongings and hold these men to account for their actions."

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