Milnrow man jailed after stealing watches from York jewellers and driving dangerously to get away

Johari Carter

A Milnrow man has been jailed after stealing high-value watches and putting lives at risk through his dangerous attempts to get away from police in York.

27-year-old Johari Carter, of Clock Tower Court, Milnrow, has been jailed for three years and banned from driving for five-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to theft and dangerous driving at York Crown Court on Friday 29 March.

On the afternoon of Wednesday 9 January 2019, Carter entered a jewellers on High Ousegate in York city centre where he purported to be a customer interested in purchasing a Rolex watch. He engaged in conversation with staff before subsequently leaving the shop with three watches worth in the region of £18,000 without paying for them.

While the investigation was underway, on the morning of Saturday 26 January a North Yorkshire Police PCSO on patrol in York recognised a man who fitted the description of the suspect for the theft offence. Officers then followed the black Vauxhall Insignia as it accelerated and headed out of the city.

The driver, now known to be Carter, travelled at speed towards the A1, where the car was driven the wrong way down the road three times before colliding with another vehicle head-on. In court, the judge described it as the worst instance of dangerous driving he had ever seen.

Luckily no serious injuries were reported, and with the aid of a National Police Air Service (NPAS) helicopter and West Yorkshire Police units, Carter was located nearby and arrested.

Detective Sergeant Mark Skelton, from North Yorkshire Police, said: “Carter showed no consideration for the lives of other road users on the day he failed to stop for police. He was determined to escape from officers but with excellent support from both West Yorkshire Police and NPAS we were able to arrest him and bring him to justice for his offences.”