The Bishop Auckland Police chase ended when the pursued Mercedes hit a tree

Less than two months earlier, Moses Ralph had been given a suspended sentence for an unprovoked attack on a pedestrian with a walking stick, when his latest streak of offenses occurred on the night of Friday 17 March into the following morning.

Durham Crown Court heard it began with the defendant driving at high speed at around 11pm on March 17 towards a woman who was sobbing on a flight of steps outside the Tindale Crescent Workingmen’s Club in Bishop Auckland.

Ralph, who was behind the wheel of the woman’s Mercedes A-Class vehicle, screamed and slammed onto the pavement and hit the brakes before getting out of the car, sprinting towards her and punching her in the face.

READ ALSO: Neighbors intervened when a man attacked a woman with a child

Annelise Haugstad, who is representing the prosecution, told the court when the defendant then dragged the hysterical woman to the car, he was heard saying to her: “Do you think I’m a Divvie?”

The Mercedes sped away but was noticed by police passing a patrol car, well exceeding the 30mph speed limit on a Bishop Auckland road.

The cops turned on lights and sirens, but Ralph couldn’t stop and initially weaved the full width of the street at 80 km/h, but then reached 60 km/h in a residential area of ​​Westfield Road.

Ms Haugstad said the Mercedes narrowly missed another vehicle on Cockton Hill Road, with the right-hand front door open and white shoes sticking out as if someone was trying to exit the passenger side of the car.

The Mercedes accelerated to 90-100mph on Woodhouse Lane, approaching Etherley and later turning onto the A6072, passing Redworth and approaching Heighington Roundabout, mounting a pavement and rebounding before slowing and with one tree collided.

Ralph was arrested at the scene and given a roadside breath test, the lowest of which was 52 micrograms of alcohol, compared to the legal limit of 35 mg.

He was also found to be in possession of a jackknife and some herbal cannabis, both of which were confiscated from him.

Ms Haugstad said Ralph “continued to behave appallingly” in a police van, using profanity at officers, exposing his penis and buttocks, spitting, urinating and defecating, which required a professional deep cleaning to clear the vehicle for further use ready to use.

Read more: Road ban for Bishop Auckland man caught driving after smoking cannabis

Ralph was led into a police station with a spit hood, but in his continued anger he bit the forearm of a police officer who had to go to the hospital for a medical consultation and was given a tetanus shot and antibiotics as a precaution.

Miss Haugstad said the officer described the incident and Ralph’s behavior as “disgusting and annoying”.

The 28-year-old defendant, of Craddock Street, Spennymoor, admitted to a number of offenses related to the incident, including dangerous driving, driving while drinking, assault with actual bodily harm, vandalizing the police vehicle and possession of a bladed object and cannabis as well as a Violation of a suspended sentence.

His criminal records reportedly included driving, drugs, carrying a knife and violent crimes.

Katie Spence, the defendant, said that as bad as the driving was, “it’s not the worst case of its kind coming to court”.

She said that the defendant had found it difficult to be in detention for the past two months and that he had not received any help with his mental health problems.

“He found prison a huge drain, but given his behavior, he accepts that where he needs to be is where he needs to be.

“He has been self-medicating for some time without a doctor’s formal diagnosis, and once released, seeing a GP is his priority, at the top of the list.”

“He needs help and seems unable to regulate his emotions. Instead, he turns to alcohol and drugs instead of asking for help from people who would help him.”

Miss Spence added that the defendant would have a job awaiting him and once released he could get the help he needed in the community.

But Judge Jo Kidd told Miss Spence: “This case is so serious that only the imposition of an immediate sentence is appropriate.”

“I think he was very fortunate that between that last offense and the commission of those offenses he had the opportunity to work with the probation service.

“It’s all part of a pattern of violence and threatening behavior.”

The judge said it was “extremely worrying” that during his most recent arrest, the accused was again found to be in possession of a sharp-edged object, the locking knife.

She told Ralph that the level of “disgraceful” violence he used on the victim of the attack and on the police was “obscene” throughout the incident.

“It is clear that the attack lasted longer, started outside the car and continued inside the car after you kidnapped her.

Continue reading:

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“Because of your driving style, you obviously tried to get out of a moving vehicle.

“And all against the background of an extensive list of convictions for violence and while you are on probation.”

The judge handed down consecutive sentences of three years and eight months, half of which he will serve in custody before being released with a driver’s license, and also issued a driving ban for a total of 44 months.