Driver who narrowly missed cyclists during high-speed pursuit is jailed

Robert Busby, of Abberley Wood, Great Shelford, later tried to flee on foot but was stopped and arrested.

Robert Busby, 52, of Abberley Wood, Great Shelford, has been jailed (Cambridgeshire Police/PA) (PA Media)

A driver who led police on a pursuit at “ludicrously high speeds” while narrowly missing cyclists and other cars in Cambridge has been jailed.

Video of the five-minute pursuit shows a black Vauxhall Astra, driven by Robert Busby, reach speeds of more than 80mph in zones with a 20mph limit and go the wrong way round a roundabout.

Police had signalled for the 52-year-old to pull over on the afternoon of February 21 on Coldhams Lane in Cambridge and he initially slowed before speeding off.

Part of the chase is on roads around the Addenbrooke’s Hospital site.

Robert Busby’s driving was condemned by police (Cambridgeshire Police/PA) (PA Media)

Busby, of Abberley Wood, Great Shelford, later tried to flee on foot but was stopped and arrested.

Cambridgeshire Police said he admitted at an earlier hearing to dangerous driving, drug driving and driving without insurance.

He was sentenced at Peterborough Crown Court on Wednesday to a year in prison, the force said.

Judge Michael Procter said it was an “astonishingly dangerous piece of driving” with “ludicrously high speeds”.

He said: “There were no injuries or collisions but if other road users hadn’t taken action there would have been.

“It was a prolonged piece of bad driving involving deliberate disregard for the rules of the road and safety of others involving vastly excessive speed all while his licence was revoked on medical grounds and he had no insurance.”

Pc Tim Everett said: “Busby showed a complete disregard for the safety of road users that day.

“Not to mention himself and his passenger.

“His driving was completely erratic taking speeds of 80mph on busy roads.

“He narrowly missed other cars and bikes and was lucky not to cause a serious, or even fatal, collision.”