A mum-of-three had her baby in the front seat of her car as she jumped red lights while evading police during a chase. Charlotte Shipley, 29, was jailed after she hit a taxi during the chase with CCTV footage showing her driving on the pavement, on the wrong side of the road and jumping red lights. Shipley, who was high on cannabis, only stopped when she hit a cab after ignoring a No Entry sign. She has since been jailed for 10 months. Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard she was behind the wheel of a Volkswagen where police spotted her on Etruria Road, Hanley, with the baby in the front passenger seat.
Officers followed Shipley with lights and sirens on as she turned into a car park at a Nando's and Costa Coffee before she headed back down Etruria Road. She later turned on to Etruria Vale Road and drove at speeds upward of 50mph in a 30mph zone. Shipley later drove on a pavement when a pedestrian was close and forced other drivers to make evasive moves. She then drove down Cemetery Road at 60mph and turned on to Wellesley Street from the Snow Hill roundabout despite having a No Entry sign, Mirror affiliate StokeonTrentLive reported.
After she hit a taxi travelling in the opposite direction police finally arrested her. The chase happened just five days after she appeared at North Staffordshire Justice Centre on December 13, 2023, for drug-driving and using a vehicle without insurance. Prosecutor Barry White said: "There was a pedestrian walking on the pavement she mounted. When she was arrested there was a baby in the vehicle. She tested positive for cannabis.".
Shipley, of Appleford Place, Blurton, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving. Judge Trevor Meegan said: "The police drove behind you and requested you to stop by activating their siren and lights. You did not do so. "You contravened red lights, you drove over speed bumps creating a third lane for yourself, you forced your way past traffic, you mounted a pavement on which a pedestrian was present, and went through a red light causing a vehicle to stop to avoid a collision. At Cemetery Road you clipped the kerb at the junction and were doing 60mph in a 30mph limit. You turned left into Stoke Road, again speeding, contravened a No Entry sign and attempted to force your way past a taxi.
"This was a deliberate decision to ignore the rules of the road. There was total disregard for the safety of other road users. You were impaired by drugs and were driving at speeds significantly over the limit. "You have previous convictions for driving, including for dangerous driving. Five days before this offence you were at the magistrates' court for driving under the influence of drugs. The most aggravating feature is the breathtaking disregard for the safety of your own child.".
