Man convicted after police car filmed driving dangerously in Kirkholt

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Police car

A Kirkholt man has been convicted of nine driving offences after a video circulated on social media of a police car being driven dangerously in the Kirkholt area of Rochdale last weekend.

Daniel Wild, 33, was arrested following ‘extensive enquiries by officers’ following the incident on Sunday 14 April.

The incident happened after a separate incident where a police officer left the car to detain a 28-year-old man in a nearby shop following a pursuit.

Wild was charged with the following offences on 18 April:

• Dangerous driving
• Aggravated vehicle taking
• Two counts of driving without insurance
• Two counts of driving otherwise in accordance with a licence
• Failing to report at a collision
• Failing to stop at a collision
• Driving a vehicle without a seat belt

He will be sentenced on Thursday 16 May 2024 at Minshull Street Crown Court.

Chief Inspector Michael Parker from our Roads Policing Unit said: “This person thought, unlawfully, that taking a marked police vehicle whilst the officer was detaining a violent suspect, and driving it around the community in a dangerous manner at excessive speeds was one big joke.

“Thankfully no members of the public came to harm, but this sort of behaviour will never be tolerated by Greater Manchester Police, and we want to reassure and remind our communities actions like this do have severe consequences.”