A knifeman who drove the wrong way down the M5 in a desperate attempt to escape armed police after threatening a woman has been jailed. Joshua Jones hit 70mph in a 30mph zone in his Ford Puma near Oldbury Ringway before entering the M5 at J2 at around 10am on May 24.
Threat with Rambo-style blade
The fugitive, 23, was being hunted by cops after he had threatened a woman known to him in Halesowen with a Rambo-style blade earlier that same day. Footage from a National Police Air Service (NPAS) helicopter showed him driving the wrong way around a roundabout and towards oncoming traffic.
Firearms officers made tactical contact using their vehicle to stop the dangerous driver in his tracks. Officers seized the blade from his passenger seat and arrested Jones at the scene.
Police praise teamwork
Ch Insp Sinead Sweeney, head of West Midlands Police's Firearms Unit, said: "This was fantastic teamwork by our officers who used their skills and training to bring a dangerous offender to justice. The consequences of Jones driving the wrong way down the motorway could have been catastrophic."
She added: "Incidents like this just go to show the range of work that firearms officers do. From arresting those involved in gun crime, to pursuing criminals armed with other deadly weapons on the roads, to supporting our neighbourhood and investigation teams."
Court appearance and sentencing
Jones, of Fountain Lane, Oldbury, appeared at Wolverhampton Magistrates' Court last Tuesday, May 26. He admitted possession of a large Rambo knife, dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking, criminal damage to the woman’s property and using threatening language to her. He was remanded in custody until his sentencing at the city's crown court on June 23.
