Crewe man avoids jail after leading police on pursuit with cocaine in his system
James Cheetham has been handed a suspended sentenced and banned from driving for 18 months
A man has avoided jail after leading police on a pursuit before crashing into a wall in Winterley.
James Cheetham was also over the legal limit for cocaine.
On 21 December 2025, an officer attempted to stop a Peugeot 207 being driven by Cheetham in Crewe Road, Wheelock.
He initially stopped but sped off when the officer got out of his vehicle.
Cheetham reached speeds of 70mph in a 30mph zone.
He ended up crashing into a wall outside someone's home in Winterley before attempting to run from the scene.
Officers detained Cheetham, who tested positive for benzoylecgonine (a metabolite of cocaine).
He gave a reading of 595ug/l of benzoylecgonine - the legal limit is 50ug/l.
Sentencing
Cheetham, 39, of Alton Street, Crewe pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and drug driving.
He's been handed a 15 month jail term suspended for 18 months.
He's also been banned from driving for 18 months and must pass an extended re-test before he's allowed to drive again.
“Thankfully, he didn’t make it very far"
Sergeant Martin Hilditch from Cheshire Police said:
“Cheetham knew he shouldn’t have been driving after having cocaine in his system and attempted to outrun us.
“Thankfully, he didn’t make it very far – although it is a miracle there were no pedestrians walking along the pavement at the moment he crashed, or the outcome could have been very different."