Two jailed after stolen car in shocking collision with innocent woman in Cheetham Hill

Two men involved in a pursuit in north Manchester that saw a stolen car collide with an innocent woman, who was lucky to survive, have received jailed terms totalling over six years.

Footage of the shocking collision that occurred on Cheetham Hill Road in April this year was previously shown at Manchester Crown Court before Ryan Deans, Thomas Keogh, and Ellis Barrett were sentenced today (Friday 10 December).

The trio were brought to justice by detectives from GMP Salford's dedicated taskforce tackling organised crime and concludes the latest investigation under Operation Naseby - which has seen 250 arrests made and 113 stolen vehicles seized since April 2020.

The court heard how Deans, 33, was driver of the vehicle that officers from our Tactical Vehicle Intercept Unit, on Op Naseby, correctly spotted as a stolen Nisan Xtrail on Waterloo Road.

The Xtrail - taken from an address in Longsight a month previously - sped off when asked to pull over and officers then gave pursuit.

During the course of the chase, Deans drove onto the wrong side of the road at speeds of up to 50mph in a 30mph zone, as well as driving through red lights and recklessly drove towards oncoming traffic.

After a two-minute pursuit into the north of Manchester, Deans lost control of the vehicle and smashed into a combination of a wall, bollards, parked vehicles and a 36-year-old woman as she was walking on the pavement.

The offenders ran from the scene leaving the victim on the ground pleading for help - she was to be hospitalised for eight days with life-changing injuries, including a fractured spine, broken pelvis and a broken leg.

Despite attempting to run from police, Deans, Keogh, 29, and Barrett, 26, were arrested and taken to custody where they were later charged for a series of offences.

Deans, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, handling stolen goods, disqualified driving, driving without insurance, failing to stop for police, and failing to stop at the scene of a collision; he was today ordered to serve four years and six months in prison.

Keogh, of Beckett Street, Manchester, admitted theft without consent, being carried in a stolen motor vehicle and possession of a bladed article and was also sentenced today to spend one year and nine months in prison.

Barrett, of Tarpoley Avenue, Manchester, was also sentenced today to a community order, curfew with a tag, and disqualified from driving after already pleading guilty to theft without consent and being carried in a stolen motor vehicle.

Detective Sergeant Daniel Worthington, of GMP Salford's taskforce tackling organised crime, said: "Anyone can see from the shocking footage of this collision that these three men are very lucky to be facing even more serious charges purely due to innocent woman miraculously not suffering more life-threatening injuries - and we continue to wish her well with her recovery.

"It's vital as part of Operation Naseby that we use all available resources to take such criminals off the streets of Salford and the surrounding areas, and this includes utilising our Vehicle Interceptors to pursue and catch offenders who go about their unlawful activity by using stolen cars and having total disregard for others.

"This is just the latest in a whole string of convictions we are currently securing as part of our offensive on organised crime in the city and our commitment to putting such offenders behind bars does not relent."