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MY SHOCK AT 124MPH RIDE IN POLICE CAR
A school teacher has told of his 124mph horror drive - in the back of a police car.
Robert Cox was taken on the 15-mile journey from Swadlincote to Derby at terrifying speeds with sirens blaring so he could take a breathalyser test.
The Bemrose School teacher was later given a 15-month driving ban and a £400 fine for refusing to take the test - but the patrol officer involved was not prosecuted for speeding despite receiving a written warning.
Mr Cox, of Swallow Road, Woodville, said he thought he was imagining how fast the police car was travelling and was shocked to learn the actual speed afterwards.
He added: "If he had sneezed slightly or had a puncture the car would have been out of control and I could have been killed."
Mr Cox's ordeal began when he was stopped on the way home from a pub for allegedly speeding in Swadlincote on December 29, 2004, after he was spotted crossing a double white line.
He was then arrested by PC Chris Newsome when he refused to take a breathalyser test.
Mr Cox said: "I was supposedly doing more than 60mph in a 40mph zone - but I don't think I was going that fast.
"I did refuse to take a breathalyser test but I thought I was within my rights.
"I do wish I had taken the test now, because I don't believe I was anywhere near the drink-drive limit."
Following the incident Mr Cox (52) filed complaints against PC Newsome and another officer over the way they dealt with the arrest.
These claims were investigated and found to be unsubstantiated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
However, during the inquiries it was discovered from the police video tapes that PC Newsome was travelling at 91 mph in a 40mph zone and at 124 mph along the A52 in a 70mph zone.
In his recorded interviews, PC Newsome said as an advanced police driver, he felt he was in control of the vehicle at all times.
But a report into the speeding, written by the IPCC, states: "The speeds attained at key moments in the incident, namely 91mph in a 40mph zone and 124mph on a 70mph dual carriageway, cannot be justified in these circumstances.
"The officer does in fact display clear double standards in correctly seeking to stop Mr Cox for crossing a solid white line, only to reach 91 mph in the very same area a matter of minutes later."
The report also reveals that in a letter from IPCC commissioner Amerdeep Somal to Superintendent Debbie Platt, Head of Professional Standards at Derbyshire Constabulary, the question of prosecuting the officer is raised.
The letter, dated October 2005, states: "I suggested that Chief Inspector Paul Berry issue a summons for the speeding offence upon the officer and was informed, following him seeking advice from the force solicitor, that there appears no legal power to do this as the statutory six months time limit had elapsed.
"I agree with this, but am concerned at the delay."
Mr Cox said: "The police procrastinated for six months. I have a letter dated June 2005 saying they were still waiting for the officers in question to reply.
"Then the next thing I know they can't prosecute because it's been more than six months since the incident.
"It's ridiculous."
A spokeswoman for the IPCC said: "Derbyshire Constabulary undertook a local investigation into the circumstances surrounding the arrest and transfer of Mr Robert Cox while in police custody.
"The investigating officer identified that Mr Cox had been transferred in a police vehicle which travelled at excessive speeds, and the matter was then referred to the IPCC.
"The IPCC undertook a managed investigation into this incident, and the investigation concluded that the officer concerned, although an advanced police driver, had travelled at speeds which were not proportionate and appropriate to the situation.
"As a result of this, the IPCC recommended that the officer receive a formal superintendent's written warning."
A spokeswoman for Derbyshire Police would only confirm that an officer did receive a written warning over the speeding incident.
PC Newsome was unavailable for comment.
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