Thug who threatened ice cream lady with sword back in court

Jamie Tickle was locked up in the summer of 2018 for the terrifying incident which left children waiting in line in tears.

The 29-year-old reoffended however by leading police on a 90mph chase through Burtonwood and on country roads before crashing.

The defendant was charged with dangerous driving and appeared to be sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday, April 6.

Rebecca Smith, prosecuting, explained to the court how the offence was committed on July 18, with the four-mile chase beginning shortly after midnight in the St Helens area.

A police officer was waiting on Derbyshire Hill Road in Parr after being informed to keep an eye out for a Volkswagen Golf bearing cloned plates.

The car, which was being driven by Tickle and contained a passenger, flew past the officer at speed.

A pursuit was approved and the officer gave chase along Fleet Lane, activating his emergency equipment, leaving the defendant in no doubt that he should stop.

But the chase continued, with Tickle reaching speeds of up to 90mph on residential roads with speed limits of 20mph and 30mph in some cases.

Dashcam footage from the pursuing police car was played in court, and this showed the defendant mounting kerbs a number of times, traversing blind bends without braking and travelling around roundabouts the wrong way.

The car was pursued through Burtonwood before crashing into a sign at the gates of the UPS warehouse on Lockheed Road, parallel to the M62.

Tickle was arrested and tested positive for cocaine during a roadside drug wipe. However, no blood sample was taken and no drug driving charges were issued as a result.

The defendant offered no comment during his police interview.

Ms Smith revealed to the court that Tickle has previous convictions for a number of matters, including driving offences.

Jamie Tickle was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court

One of the most serious saw him jailed for two years and eight months in August 2018 after threatening an ice cream lady with a three-foot samurai sword on her birthday.

The mum was serving children on Station Road in Haydock when the drunk and cocaine-fuelled defendant approached the van.

She later told police that she was terrified, both for herself and the upset children, that they would be killed.

However, she bravely filmed Tickle with a dashcam and rang the police after he ran away, and he was later found hiding behind bins nearby.

Defending her client for this latest driving offence, Charlotte Kenny said: “Clearly, given the extent of the pursuit and excessive speed, this is a matter which crosses the custody threshold.

“It is a matter of good fortune that traffic was very light, and thankfully no injuries were sustained.

She referenced his guilty plea at the first opportunity and asked for an alternative outcome than immediate custody.

This would allow the defendant to address his drug issues, while she also highlighted his ‘complex’ mental health issues.

This was acknowledged by recorder Michael Blakey who concluded that he could suspend the inevitable prison sentence.

He did say however: “You drove that motor vehicle in an appalling manner, travelling at speed. Fortunately, the roads were quite quiet, but it could have ended in disaster.”

Tickle, of Central Drive in Haydock, was sentenced to 12 months in prison suspended for 18 months.

He must also complete 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days and a drug rehabilitation requirement for two years.

In addition, the defendant was disqualified from driving for the next two years and must pass a mandatory retest before reapplying for his licence.