A man who led officers on a dangerous pursuit on the roads around Swindon after stealing a car has been sentenced. On May 11, Michael Bowers, 27, of Botley Road, Southampton, was viewing a red Citroen for sale in Bristol when he sat in the driver’s seat without permission and drove off. Bowers made his way to the M4 and headed eastbound, followed by Avon and Somerset roads policing officers. At junction 16, Wiltshire roads policing officer PC Paul Davis joined the pursuit, following Bowers to junction 15, where Bowers then left the motorway, avoiding a stinger at the junction before heading northbound on the A419. Bowers pushed his way through traffic, tailgating them and undertaking several cars, reaching speeds of around 90 to 100mph. At the Rat Trap roundabout, Bowers swerved onto the slip road, overtaking traffic and forcing oncoming vehicles to move out of his way. He then went the wrong way around two subsequent roundabouts, forcing vehicles to take evasive action to avoid a collision. He eventually headed onto the A420, driving through multiple sets of red traffic lights before turning right at the Sainsbury’s roundabout and driving into the truck stop. He struck a kerb, narrowly missing a parked lorry, before alighting the still moving vehicle. Bowers was found in a ditch nearby and arrested. Bowers was charged with dangerous driving, aggravated taking without consent, driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence and no insurance. He was remanded into custody and pleaded guilty. In a hearing yesterday (29/07), he was sentenced to eight months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months. He was also disqualified from driving for 18 months and fined £187. PC Davis said: “Bowers put countless lives at risk, including his own, through his incredibly dangerous and reckless driving and it is a miracle there were no collisions. “After stealing the vehicle in the first place, he then forced numerous vehicles to take evasive action to avoid a collision with him, driving the wrong way around roundabouts to try and lose the officers in pursuit. “Because of the speeds he was driving at, had anything unexpected happened on the road, then he would not have had time to stop. “I am pleased he has now been sentenced and I hope he reflects on how dangerous his actions were.”