Burglar rammed police car with girl, aged 4, in front seat...

[dutchman]

...but avoids dangerous driving charge



A BURGLAR used his four-year-old daughter as a prop when he scoped a large detached house – and she was later in the front seat of his ‘get-away car’ when he rammed into a police car.

But, astonishingly, a decision was taken not to prosecute Christopher French for dangerous driving, a judge at Warwick Crown Court was told.

French had his young girl accompany him when he went to the front of the house to see if anyone was at home, before his two accomplices tried to break in.

It was as he tried to escape from police that he rammed the officers’ vehicle despite the girl being next to him _ without a child seat.

French (33) of Trentham Road, Coventry, was jailed for three years and nine months after pleading guilty to attempted burglary on the day of his trial.

Elizabeth Power, defending, suggested that, despite his record of previous convictions, which included robbery, French could be given a suspended sentence.

She said there were ‘positive aspects’ in a pre-sentence report, and that French, described as a devoted family man, had obtained employment since his release from his last sentence.

But jailing French, Judge Peter Cooke told him: “You are a risk to the public, targeting people’s property and homes. Rehabilitation hasn’t stopped you, even though you have a trade.

“All those pleas about your family life count for nothing if you take your four-year-old daughter on burgling sprees with you.

“..You then exposed her to both danger and trauma in the way you reacted on the arrival of the police.”

And the judge added: “Why the CPS have decided not to charge this as a case of dangerous driving, when you rammed a police car with your daughter in the car, frankly defies belief.”