A scaffolder from Liverpool has been sent back to prison after a dangerous police chase on an electric bike ended in a dramatic crash, prompting an explosive courtroom outburst as his sentence was handed down.
Courtroom Eruption as Sentence is Passed
Thomas Williams, a 35-year-old father-of-one expecting another child, could not contain his anger at Liverpool Crown Court as he was jailed for 14 months. The defendant, supported by his tearful mother and partner, loudly protested his fate from the dock.
"Am I going to jail? A bike crash? It's just mad. Pathetic though. I've got a kid on the way. Madness this yeno," Williams ranted. He told his partner to 'stay strong babe' before adding: "F****** joke mate. Nonces walking the streets though. F****** horrible mate."
His mother attempted to calm him, saying "Tom, it's ok", to which Williams replied: "It's not ok though." He continued: "14 months for a f****** bike crash. F****** madness. F****** joke." As his mother left the courtroom, she was heard to say: "better off being a sex offender, get better treated."
The Reckless Police Pursuit and Crash
The court heard the incident began in the early hours of April 4 this year, when police spotted three Sur-Ron electric bikes on Edge Lane. Williams was among the riders, all dressed in black, who failed to stop when requested, initiating a pursuit.
Prosecutor Laura Atherton explained that Williams was tailed to a roundabout at the junction of East Prescot Road and Eaton Road in West Derby. He failed to slow down, colliding with a Vauxhall Zafira. The impact threw him from the bike, performing what the judge described as a 'full somersault' in the air before he hit the pavement.
Miraculously, the four occupants of the car were shaken but unhurt. Williams was taken to Aintree Hospital but refused to provide a blood sample for alcohol and drug testing. A small quantity of cannabis was found in his jacket pocket upon arrest.
A Troubled Past and Pleas for Leniency
During police interview, Williams said he had been out with friends and 'got scared' when he saw officers. He admitted driving too fast and wanted to apologise. He claimed the bike belonged to a friend and said he was 'out of it' when he refused tests in custody.
The court was told Williams has 19 convictions for 29 offences. These include failing to provide a specimen for analysis in 2018 and a 44-month sentence for offering to supply class A drugs in 2021.
Defending, Olivia Belle said her client was "ashamed" of his "utterly reckless" actions, which even his partner had berated him for. She argued he had made progress since his last release in December 2022, securing work as a scaffolder and staying out of trouble for four years. Sending him to prison, she said, would "reverse the progress" and likely send him "down a dark path."
Williams, of Hazleton Road, Broadgreen, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving without a licence and insurance, failing to provide a specimen, and possession of cannabis.
Judge's Sentencing Remarks
Sentencing, Judge Sarah O'Brien noted the deliberate disregard for road rules and the safety of others. "It was obviously a highly dangerous manoeuvre to go straight over a roundabout without slowing down," she said.
The judge acknowledged a gap in offending since 2021 but noted Williams had been in custody or on licence for part of that time. She accepted he was remorseful, had mental health difficulties including anxiety and a potential PTSD diagnosis, and was seeking an ADHD assessment.
"You are fortunate to have the support of your partner and mother here in court," Judge O'Brien said. "You have recently lost your grandfather. This offence was serious. You could have very easily seriously injured someone, including yourself. It is only by luck that you did not."
In addition to the 14-month prison term, Williams was handed a 49-month driving ban.
