Moment police Taser driver of stolen Porsche after high-speed chase through Birmingham

Moment police Taser driver of stolen Porsche after high-speed chase through Birmingham city centre on icy roads

  • Lee Smythe, 34, attempted to evade chasing police in a stolen Porsche 911 GTS 
  • Dashcam footage shows traffic officers pursuing vehicle in central Birmingham
  • Smythe struggled to control the vehicle with the roads covered in snow and ice
  • Car spins out and chase ends when police smash window and pulled Smythe out
  • He admitted aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving and failing to stop

This is the moment police Taser the driver of a stolen Porsche after a high-speed chase through Birmingham city centre in icy conditions. 

Dashcam footage shows traffic officers in hot pursuit of the racing-track-prepped Porsche 911 GTS as it repeatedly slips and slides on snow-covered roads.

Pursuing police manage to keep up with the high-performance Porsche as it races through red lights and past major city landmarks such as Selfridges and the Bullring.

However the driver of the stolen £60,000 sports car struggles to keep it under control due to the tricky road conditions.

The chase is ended when traffic police manage to box the driver into the vehicle with their own cars.

One officer then gets out, smashes the car’s window and deploys his Taser. 

The stunned driver, Lee Smythe, is then dragged out of the car, which had been swiped just hours earlier, on January 25 this year, from an address in Staffordshire.

The chase is ended when traffic police box the driver into the vehicle, before one officer gets out, smashes the car’s window and deploys his Taser (pictured)

Smythe, from Stratford Road in Birmingham, went on to admit aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, and firearms possession.

The latter charge came after Smythe was found to be in possession of a can of pepper spray – classed as a firearm under UK law.

Smythe, who had 21 convictions for 45 previous offences, appeared at Birmingham Crown Court on February 25. He was jailed for a total of 16 months.

The judge also banned him from the roads for three years and eight months and he must pass an extended re-test to get his licence back in the future.

In passing sentence Judge Francis Laird QC said: ‘You were driving it and you had a passenger. When you realised you had caught the attention of the police car you made off at high speed.

‘There had been a very cold snap and the in-car footage of the chase shows that the ground was heavy with snow.

Smythe, from Stratford Road in Birmingham, went on to admit aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, and firearms possession

Smythe, from Stratford Road in Birmingham, went on to admit aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, and firearms possession

‘The chase ended with the vehicle causing damage to the police car.’

PC Rich Storer from West Midlands Police traffic unit was involved in the arrest.

He said: ‘Smythe lost control of the Porsche on the slippery surface and was fortunate not to collide with other road users. 

‘We knew we had to stop him quickly as he was an accident waiting to happen.

‘We used some tactical contact to box him in and were able to swiftly get him in handcuffs.

‘It was a good job – to have him locked up little more than two hours after the Porsche was reported stolen was a great effort.’