A CANNABIS dealer rammed a police car and narrowly missed two officers then led traffic cops on a high-speed chase through Calne.

Kyle Wood-Woolley, who five months earlier had been caught with around 25 street wraps of cannabis, was finally cornered in a cul-de-sac.

Jailing the 23-year-old for 10 months, Judge Peter Crabtree said: “It was a pursuit which started with you reversing into a police vehicle causing damage.

“The way you drove off at speed despite officers in close proximity to your vehicle, there was an obvious risk to them and the other road users you came across or might have come across as you sped towards Calne.”  

The offence was so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence was appropriate, he told Wood-Woolley.

Earlier, prosecutor Sue Cavender told Swindon Crown Court that officers had tried to pull over the hired Jaguar E-Pace Wood-Woolley was driving near Sandy Lane on March 31, 2020.

Dash cam footage from an unmarked police BMW, which was played to the court, showed the man reversing the 4x4 into the police car after a marked unit had swerved in front of the car to bring Wood-Woolley to a stop.

The Jaguar driver then accelerated away, forcing police officers who’d gone to speak to the defendant to jump away.

Wood-Woolley was chased on A roads and rural lanes to Calne, hitting speeds up to 80mph and going the wrong way around a roundabout. He sped through Calne at between 40mph and 50mph then turned into Lavender Drive. Police managed to box the Jaguar in after the defendant, who tested positive for cannabis, hit a dead end.

A bag thrown from the passenger side window during the chase was found to contain cannabis.

Ms Cavender said no charges had been brought relating to that stash, as it could not be proven whether the drugs belonged to Wood-Woolley or his female passenger. Judge Crabtree responded: “That is an incredible conclusion to have come to, but there we go.”

At the time of the chase, Wood-Woolley was under investigation for dealing cannabis in Devizes.

He’d been stopped behind the wheel of a Mercedes on Horton Road on November 4, 2019, with around 25 wraps of cannabis in the centre console of the car. The wraps were underweight one or two gramme deals, with an estimated street value of £265. A knuckleduster was also found in the vehicle.

Wood-Woolley claimed at his trial in the magistrates’ court that the cannabis was for his own use. Judge Crabtree said it would be “absurd” to come to any conclusion other than that the defendant was dealing to someone.

Stephanie Painter, mitigating, said her client continued to maintain he had not been dealing cannabis. He readily admitted his guilt for the dangerous driving, saying he had “panicked” when he saw the police. He suffered flashbacks to the chase and was remorseful.

The defendant suffered from poor mental health, including anxiety, depression and PTSD. His life had moved on since the offences were committed. He had the support of his family, lived in rented accommodation and had the offer of a work placement.

Wood-Woolley, of Eastleigh Road, Devizes, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and possession of an offensive weapon. He was found guilty of possession with intent to supply cannabis. A previous conviction for threatening another with a knife made him subject to a mandatory minimum prison sentence of six months.

Judge Crabtree sentenced him to 10 months’ imprisonment and banned him from driving for two years with an extension period of five months. Wood-Woolley must pass an extended test if he wishes to drive again.