Car chase driver referred to High Court

Mar 10 2012 Paisley Daily Express

A ROAD maniac who crashed after a dangerous high-speed police chase is to have his fate decided by the High Court.

Car nut Steven Payne was out of prison on licence when he stole and then crashed a Ford Focus after a pursuit through Renfrew, Johnstone and finally Paisley last year.

Now a judge will decide whether the 31-year-old will have to go back and serve the rest of his sentence after he was referred there by a sheriff this week.

Paisley Sheriff Court heard previously how Payne crashed a stolen car through a fence in the town’s Caplaw Road following a hair-raising chase with police cars and a helicopter on his tail on November 2.

Payne stole the car from Renfrew’s Pladda Place after he nicked a handbag containing its keys and personal papers from another vehicle in Langlands Road, Glasgow, earlier that day.

He went to the address in Renfrew after reading the papers in the bag and took the Focus.

The police pursuit started in Inchinnan Road after the startled owner looked out of his front window and saw his car being driven off.

Payne was soon intercepted in the town’s Hairst Street and then accelerated away when he saw blue lights flashing.

He led the chasing police car from Abbotsinch Road and Sanderling Road, skirting the airport and on to St James’s Interchange, before exiting on to the A737 dual carriageway.

He then left at the Kilbarchan slip road, speeding through eight Johnstone streets before reaching Caplaw Road in Paisley.

The madcap driver lost control when he failed to negotiate a bend and ploughed through a fence.

During the episode, he drove on the wrong side of the road, weaved in and out of traffic at speeds of up 80 miles an hour, and narrowly avoided causing several accidents.

Police were so concerned about Payne’s dangerous driving that the pursuing cars were advised to pull back while the chopper kept tabs on him.

At court, Payne – formerly of Gallowhill Court, Paisley – admitted driving dangerously and failing to stop when required to do so by police.

He also pleaded guilty to the theft of a handbag, car keys and personal papers from a vehicle, and stealing the Ford Focus.

There court heard Payne – said to have an addiction to motor vehicles – was assessed by a prominent clinical psychologist to try and get to the root of his offending behaviour.

Sheriff Neil Douglas said he wanted the High Court to rule on Payne’s recall to prison before he would consider sentencing him for the car chase.

He is to return to court on April 2.