SWMRlake – by Jack Fifield
An unlicensed driver who tried to flee from cops by hiding in a freezing lake has been sentenced to more than two years in prison.
Davey Smith, 18, tried to escape from police after he was spotted acting suspiciously.
Bodycam footage shows submerged Smith being dragged out his unconventional hiding spot – a freezing cold lake.
Officers had to dress the dozy teen in a woolly police hat and thick police coat while they waited for an ambulance.
The uninsured driver sped off from cops in a Ford Mondeo car, taking his 17-year-old passenger along for the ride, on the outskirts of Scarborough, North Yorks., just before 4am on November 6, 2024.
Police used a ‘stinger’ device to deflate his tyres and bring him to a stop, but he and his passenger ran out of the vehicle towards the tranquil Throxenby Mere lake.
While the 17-year-old was immediately detained, police could see no sign of Smith on the dark autumn morning.
After 45 minutes of searching by torchlight, eagle-eyed cops found him – almost fully submerged in cold water.
Traffic sergeant Mark Patterson then reaches in to the lake and drags Smith out of the cold water, telling the sodden teen: “You, my friend, are locked up.”
Officers then help Smith remove his sodden clothes and dress him in a police jacket and a woolly police hat while they wait for an ambulance.
He was then taken to hospital before being charged for the incident.
He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, failure to stop, failing to provide a specimen of blood for analysis, and driving without insurance or an appropriate licence.
At Scarborough Magistrates’ Court, Smith was sentenced to 32 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and 200 hours of unpaid work.
He was also handed a 28-month drivig ban and ordered to pay more than £270 in fines and costs.
Smith’s passenger was detained but later released with no further action.
North Yorkshire Police’s Sgt Mark Patterson, who pulled Smith out of the lake, said: “mith was arrested and we immediately gave him first aid to help him warm up while an ambulance was called.
“He was shivering, so we wrapped him in a foil blanket and gave him one of our woolly police hats to wear, and a thick winter police coat.
“It certainly wasn’t the cleverest place to hide on a cold November night and he could have caused himself serious harm.
“His dangerous driving also posed a massive risk to others. So I’m glad we were able to use our resources and tactics to bring him to a safe stop in a quiet area.”
