Dangerous driver 'fortunate' after near-miss during police pursuit

Police spotted Rovjon Hoisani behind the wheel of an Audi A4 on Wilton Road, Salisbury, close to midnight on December 1, last year.

Winchester Crown Court was told on Friday, June 25, that the 27-year-old did not have insurance or a licence.

Officers attempted to stop the car, initiating their blue lights and sirens, but Hoisani ignored these and a pursuit was carried out on the A36.

Prosecuting, Andrew Stone said: “He drove at several speeds, 80mph in a 30 zone and 100 mph in a 50 to 60 zone.”

The court was told that Hoisani came to a set of temporary traffic lights but, Mr Stone said: “The driver of the Audi did not slow down. They drove straight through a row of traffic cones”.

Hoisani, currently at HMP Highdown, narrowly avoided a collision with an oncoming car but the cones caused damage to the vehicle.

“Eventually the Audi did come off the road, Mr Hoisani was the only person in the car,” Mr Stone told the court.

“He tried to climb over a fence, dropped his phone and was arrested.”

Rovjon Hoisani

In sentencing, Judge Advocate Jane England said: “You drove at speeds up to 50mph in excess of the speed limit including in built-up areas which is inherently dangerous.

“You came to some temporary traffic lights but that did not deter you, you tried to go past waiting vehicles on the wrong side of the road.

“You were then driving so dangerously you were unable to negotiate a left-hand bend and you then crashed your car.”

The judge added: “It is fortunate that there were not that many road users about at that time of night. You can count yourself lucky that you did not cause more harm.”

At the time of the offence, Hoisani was on licence having served half of a 44-month sentence for drug matters.

In mitigation, Dudley Beal said: “He tells me that he was travelling down to Torquay for a bit of a break, he saw the police car behind him turn on his lights, he knew he didn’t have a licence.”

Mr Beal said that Hoisani that did “something rather stupid, panicked and put his foot down”.

The father-of-three previously pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and driving without a licence or insurance.

He was jailed for 13 months and was disqualified from driving for two years and seven months. He must take an extended driving test before getting his licence back.

After the court hearing, Detective Constable Ben Brewster, who was the officer driving during the pursuit, said: “Hoisani showed a complete disregard for the safety of other road users, driving dangerously and recklessly.

“Throughout the pursuit I witnessed him driving at excessive speed, failing to slow down at junctions or roundabouts and regularly driving on the wrong side of the road while going around blind bends.

“I believe it is only due to the fact that traffic was so light at that time of night that somebody wasn’t seriously or fatally injured.”

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