A court has heard how a man went on a two hour rampage in his 30 tonne dumper truck after arguing with his bosses about air conditioning in his cab.
The Daily Mail report how Nicholas Churchill, 40, became angry about how hot it was in his truck on a summer’s day at a quarry in Norfolk.
In his fury, Churchill drove off leaving a trail of destruction behind him as he was chased by six police cars and a helicopter across 37 miles and two counties on June 20 last year.
During his rampage he wrecked three police cars by ramming into them and smashed down signs and bollards, as he reached top speeds of 25mph during the chase.
Shoppers were forced to flee as his truck tore down a high street and over a pedestrianised square before coming to a halt near his home in Brandon, Suffolk.
Magistrates in Norwich heard how Churchill who had also taken drugs had caused damage costing £26,572 to police property and £1,500 to his truck.
Prosecutor Fergus Harold said:
The vehicle he was driving attracted a significant police pursuit and caused a large amount of damage to the vehicles involved… It started off as a case that had little justification. The defendant was at work driving his vehicle and had taken issue with his employers about the air conditioning in his cab… He was told to get on with his job, but instead he has taken his vehicle on to the highway, and there followed a lengthy pursuit with a number of police cars and the helicopter dispatched.
Churchill admitted to both dangerous driving and driving under the influence of drugs, and was commended for pleading guilty so early.
Magistrates have given Churchill an interim driving ban and bailed him to Norwich Crown Court for sentencing on February 5. The court also heard how Churchill had not been in trouble with police since he was caught drink-driving eight years ago.
A shopper in Brandon who asked not to be named said at the time of the chase: “It is a miracle that nobody was killed”.
More of a concept than a journalist, Tom Percival was forged in the bowels of Salford University from which he emerged grasping a Masters in journalism.
Since then his rise has been described by himself as ‘meteoric’ rising to the esteemed rank of Social Editor at UNILAD as well as working at the BBC, Manchester Evening News, and ITV.
He credits his success to three core techniques, name repetition, personality mirroring, and never breaking off a handshake.