A MOTORIST who crashed his car into two innocent road users - then pulled what appeared to be a gun on people pursuing him - has been jailed for six-and-a-half years.

Damian Roddy, 31, initially crashed his Audi A3 into a VW Polo, being driven by Emily Parry, leaving her with whiplash injuries, Minshull Street Crown Court was told.

But Roddy did not stop at the scene - and became involved in a second collision with a Citroen Berlingo van being driven by a workman on Hollinwood Avenue, Chadderton.

The Oldham Times:

Prosecutor Peter Hargan said Roddy left the vehicle, clearly agitated and apppearing to be under the influence of something.

Meanwhile Miss Parry, whose £14,000 car was written off, had summoned help, which included her partner and his father, Richard Blunt.

The first party tracked down Roddy's Audi A3 to further along the road, as the driver started to walk off towards the nearby Morrison's store.

Mr Hargan said at one point Roddy flashed what appeared to be a black handgun and threatened onlookers, including Mr Blunt, who had been followign him, with the object.

The court heard when Roddy's car was searched, police found wraps of cocaine and cannabis, along with £366.

Mr Hargan said the defendant was eventually arrested after a second incident, weeks later, which saw him flip an Ford Fiesta ST car on the A62, into Failsworth, after driving head-on into oncoming traffic.

Roddy had refused to pull over, after police had requested him to stop, then drove around Chadderton at speeds reaching 80mph in 30mph zones.

Mr Hargan said the pursuit, which saw other drivers taking evasive action, ended when the driver's Fiesta clipped a kerb and ended up on its roof. Drugs with a street value of just under £7,000 were found in the wreckage.

Judge John Potter, passing sentence on Roddy, of Kirkby Avenue, Moston, also banned him from driving for seven years and three months.

Roddy had pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, drug dealing offences and possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

Maria Brannan, defending, said her client accepted that the witnesses would have believed he was brandishing a firearm at the time of the first incident.

She told the court her client, who lived with his mother, had been in trouble since the age of 14, but had not committed any criminal offences for a number of years.

Speaking after the case, Det Con Craig Bowring, of GMP’s Oldham District CID, said: “Roddy put members of the public at serious risk during the incidents in March and July last year.

“He caused three collisions as well as several near misses as he drove the Fiesta through Failsworth, the wrong way around a roundabout, through red lights and on the wrong side of the road.

"He didn’t even have a full UK driving licence or insurance. The dashcam footage proves that Roddy had no regard for other road users or pedestrians and it is lucky no one was seriously injured.

“He also left innocent members of the public fearing for their lives when he produced a handgun and made threats as they tried to apprehend him.

“I hope this sentence reassure members of the public that Greater Manchester Police work hard to bring criminals to justice and carry out extensive enquiries to link them to any other crimes they have committed.

"I also hope it serves as a warning to offenders that this type of behaviour won’t be tolerated on the streets of Greater Manchester.”