A 19-year-old daredevil has admitted dangerous driving after a 95mph Valentine’s Day police chase down the A12 through Newbury Park ended with him crashing his car in Romford.
Shukri Merdini, an Albanian national of no fixed abode, admitted one count of dangerous driving at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court today (Friday, February 15).
Prosecutor Paul Nagle told the court Merdini was spotted by police officers driving a Honda Civic erratically in Romford Road, Chigwell, at 1.30am on Thursday, February 14.
When police officers put their car’s sirens and blue lights on, the car sped away from them, reaching speeds of up to 80mph on the 40mph road and accelerating through at least one red light.
The Honda eventually made it down Hainault Road to the junction with the A12, where Merdini turned his vehicle towards Romford and put his foot down. Pursuing officers recorded his speed as 95mph as he made his way through a green light at the Whalebone Lane junction, before turning right through a red light into Mawney Road.
On Mawney Road, officers witnesssed the car drive the wrong way around two bollards - its speed still around 60mph on the 30mph-limit stretch of road - before crashing into a car parked outside a house.
Merdini then attempted to flee the wreckage on foot, but was caught by police.
When the damage to his car was inspected, it was found that two passengers were still inside.
Chief magistrate Les Claridge confirmed Merdini’s case was serious enough that he would need to be sentenced by a judge at crown court. He said: “We have guidelines, because of the details included in the outline from the prosecution.
“Prolonged bad driving involving a deliberate disregard for the safety of others, an accident at speed and passengers in the vehicle. “All these details mean that this needs to go to a higher court for sentence.”
Upon learning that he was to be remanded in custody, Merdini, speaking through an interpreter, pleaded with the judge that this was only his first offence and he should be allowed to go home, but to no avail.
He will be sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday, February 22.
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