Norfolk Constabulary
A young motorcyclist has bravely chosen to share footage of a collision he was involved in, in the hope it will encourage other riders to think twice before taking unnecessary risks on the road. Remember one bend. one mistake could carry lifelong consequences.
updated 3 months ago
John Scott, 36, of Spinney Drive, East Harling was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court yesterday (Thursday 14 May 2026) after previously pleading guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine, possession of cannabis and dangerous driving. He was sentenced to 3 years and 9 months imprisonment and disqualified from driving for 10 years.
John Scott, 36, of Spinney Drive, East Harling was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court on Thursday 14 May 2026 after previously pleading guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine, possession of cannabis and dangerous driving. He was sentenced to 3 years and 9 months imprisonment and disqualified from driving for 10 years.
It follows a complex operation by Norfolk Police's Serious Organised Crime Unit which ended with the seizure of class A drugs estimated to be worth more than 1.3 million pounds.
Marc Kane, age 43, of Coronilla Green, Gorleston was sentenced on 8 May 2026 at Norwich Crown Court after previously pleading guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine. It follows the sentencing last year (10th November 2025) of six other members of the group who also admitted their part in the conspiracy to supply cocaine.
On 1 August 2024 a planned operation at a house on John Road in Gorleston ended with the arrest of Marc Kane and his co-conspirators. At least 10 kilos of high purity cocaine with a street value of £1million was discovered inside the house. Kane ran from the rear, jumping over fences to try and escape. Officers found him hiding in a shed in a nearby garden, where he was arrested.
Adrian Read, aged 39 and of Gas Hill, Norwich appeared at Norwich Magistrates Court on 17 December 2025 where he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified, driving without insurance, taking a vehicle without consent and failing to provide a blood specimen. He was jailed for one year and further disqualified from driving for 56 months. He was also ordered to pay £187 in fines and costs.
The sentence follows an incident on Monday 15 December 2025, at around 5.20pm on Thorpe Road, Norwich. A silver Ford Focus, which had been reported as stolen, was seen by roads policing officers travelling towards Carrow Road. The officers illuminated their blue lights, indicating for the driver to stop. The driver, Adrian Read, failed to do so and instead engaged in a high-speed pursuit, speeding at over 60mph in a 30mph zone. He drove on the wrong side of the road multiple times and passed through two red lights.
The pursuit was stopped shortly afterwards due to the risk Read was posing to the public. Read came to a stop outside of the train station due to queuing traffic where he fled from the car. Following a short foot chase, Read was stopped by officers and promptly arrested and taken to Great Yarmouth Police Investigation Centre. He was subsequently charged and remanded into custody ahead of his court hearing. The woman has been released on bail until 15 March 2026.
His passenger, a woman in her 30s, was also arrested on suspicion of theft, possession of class A drug and taking a vehicle without consent. She was taken to Aylsham Police Investigation Centre for questioning.
Read appeared at Norwich Magistrates Court yesterday (17 December 2025) and was imprisoned for a year and disqualified from driving for 56 months. He was also ordered to pay £187 in fines and costs.
Arresting officer, PC Hall said: “This is one of the worst cases of dangerous driving I have seen during my career as a police officer.
“Read chose to drive in a manner which fell far below that of a careful and competent driver, putting many lives at risk. Thankfully nobody was injured or killed as a result of Read’s actions that day. He gave no thought to anyone else’s safety and was intent on escaping from his crimes that evening.
“I am pleased that he has been removed from Norfolk’s roads for the foreseeable future.”
Throughout the month of December, in support of the annual campaign, there are fast track court dates available for those charged with drink or drug drive offences, including failing to provide. This means if you are caught driving under the influence on a Friday night, you could lose your licence by Monday morning.
This allows us to remove dangerous drivers from Norfolk’s roads quickly and efficiently, making the county safer for everyone.
Harry Palmer, aged 23 and of Langley Upper Green, Saffron Walden appeared at Ipswich Magistrates Court last week (Monday 8 December 2025), having been charged the previous Saturday (6 December 2025) with drink driving and failing to stop. He pleaded guilty to both offences and was disqualified from driving for 40 months and ordered to pay £278 in fines and costs.
The sentence follows an incident during the morning of Saturday 6 December when a call was received by a member of the public. They stated they believed a man they had interacted with at a restaurant, was under the influence of alcohol and had driven off from the premises.
At 7.49am, an officer found the car driving southbound on the A11, heading from Thickthorn towards Thetford. They initiated a stop using their blue lights. The driver, Harry Palmer, initially acknowledged the stop, indicating and breaking at a local petrol station. He then chose to drive off at speed, mounting the kerb and grass verge before rejoining the A11.
Suffolk colleagues from joint Roads and Armed Policing Team deployed to the area to locate and stop Palmer. He was found further down the A11 towards Elveden here officers safely boxed in his vehicle and prevented him from driving off.
Palmer completed a roadside breath test, providing a result of 121ugs. The legal limit is 35ugs. He was arrested on suspicion of drink driving and failing to stop for police. He was taken to Bury St Edmunds Police Investigation Centre for questioning.
At custody, Palmer provided an evidential reading of 77ugs and was charged with both offences. He was remanded into custody for court on Monday morning (8 December) where he was disqualified from driving for 40 months and ordered to pay £278 in fines and costs.
Throughout the month of December, in support of the annual campaign, there are fast track court dates available for those charged with drink or drug drive offences. This means if you are caught driving under the influence on a Friday night, you could lose your licence by Monday morning.
This allows us to remove dangerous drivers from Norfolk’s roads quickly and efficiently, making the county safer for everyone.
Did you know you can report drink driving anonymously? We understand that calling us and leaving your details may be intimidating or you may fear the driver finding out who reported them. Visit our online form. This form feeds directly into our control room, where it will be allocated to an officer to action.
Many were genuine emergencies. Too many were not.
Recently people have dialled 999 to:
🔹Ask for a locksmith
🔹Ask for a lift home after a night out
🔹Report issues with a landline.
🔹Ask female call handlers what they are wearing
🔹Ask how to contact the Sun Newspaper
For non-emergency report online on our website norfolk.police.uk
For emergencies, dial 999.
The pair used a signal relay device to take the Mercedes S Class from a driveway in a market town at 2.30am on 7 April 2025 but the noise of the engine starting alerted the owner who called 999. The car was stopped just twelve minutes later when officers found the passenger still wearing a balaclava, with the signal relay device in the footwell and a GPS jammer device still transmitting. The two men were arrested at the scene and charged later that day.
The pair, from Thetford and Wisbech, were both charged with stealing the car and 'using apparatus for the purpose of interfering with wireless telegraphy'. One was also charged with driving without insurance and driving while disqualified. Both were remanded in custody and appeared at Norwich Magistrates Court on 8 April 2025 where they both pleaded guilty.
They then appeared at Norwich Crown Court for sentencing today, Monday 12 May 2025. The driver was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment and 24 months disqualification from driving. His passenger was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to carry out 200 hours of community service.
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Tony Skerratt, sadly died following a collision on Tuesday 26 February 2019. He was the passenger of an HGV which collided with two stationary vehicles on the A11, which were being used to collect litter. He was 44.
The driver of the vehicle, a friend of Tony’s, had been distracted at the time of the collision as he attempted to set up and use the vehicle’s cruise control function. He pleaded guilty, at the earliest opportunity, to death by careless driving and was sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for 21 months. He was also ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work and was disqualified from driving for 30 months.
The highway maintenance workers - employed by a contractor on behalf of a local authority - were acquitted in court by a jury of causing death by dangerous driving.
Their employer was investigated by the Health and Safety Executive. Following this investigation, Serco Ltd. was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court in 2023 for breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act. They were fined £240,000 and made to pay costs of £37,000.
Following the end of all court proceedings, his family have now asked us to share these clips to highlight the devastating impact distracted driving can have and how important driver focus is for avoiding serious collisions.
Tony’s sister Jacine said, “We really want drivers to know how in that moment you are not paying attention behind the wheel, and you are unaware of your surroundings.
She emphasised, “These crashes happen. We want people to know how the loss of a loved one makes such a massive impact on a whole family. We look at Tony’s picture on the wall and just keep thinking he should be here with us. I am lost for words for how it makes me feel watching my Mum and Dad grow older without Tony and how this affected them both so much, the loss of their baby boy, and how much it continues to affect them.
“Tony was also a dad to his daughters Rachael, Ruby and Millie and he is not here to watch them as they move through life, and grandchildren who are with us now that he will never get to meet.”
42% of all driver related traffic incidents are caused by some form of driver distraction and a loss of concentration at the wheel recent figures reveal in Norfolk. The ‘Stay Focused’ campaign aims to influence driver behaviour and improve driver related road safety incidents.
Hear directly from our officers about what it’s really like to serve with Norfolk Constabulary — the highs, the challenges, and the moments that make it all worthwhile. Whether you're just starting out or looking for a career change, policing is more than a job, it's also purpose.
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George Taylor, aged 19 and of Cage Lane, Stretham, Ely appeared at Norwich Crown Court today (Monday 25 November 2024) having pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving at an earlier hearing. He has been jailed for two years and two months. He was also disqualified from driving for 40 months and told he must take an extended driving test before he can drive again.
Analysis of Taylor’s mobile phone found that he had been using it throughout his journey, including making two calls, sending one text and recording five videos. These videos showed him driving at speed and overtaking other vehicles whilst using his knees on his steering wheel. Taylor had held his license for less than 12 weeks at the time of the collision.
Catherine's father said: "I hope that by speaking out I can make others aware of what can happen on the roads. Catherine’s life was changed in a split second, and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone."
Lead investigating officer, Sgt Callum Walchester, said: "This is a deeply tragic case which, like many collisions, could have been entirely avoidable. Incidents like these are indiscriminate, they can happen to anyone, at any time. It doesn’t matter how good of a driver you may think you are - if you are using your mobile phone, you are risking the life of every road user you encounter. Please, if you take nothing else from this message, please watch the video and watch how quickly things can change and realise the very real consequences, please, just think.”
Sgt Matt Paine, from Norfolk’s Community Safety team said: “Using our drones provides us great overview within a wide range of incidents. It allows us the viewpoint from the sky, giving a great advantage and allows us to locate offenders quickly and efficiently, as has happened on this occasion”.
White Ribbon Day (November 25) and the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence finishes on 10 December and encourages everyone to speak up against violence.
“At one point I was homeless as I did not feel I could leave the relationship. Just knowing I could reach out to someone, even though I was struggling, meant so much,” says Chloe.
Now in her 20s, she began a relationship with an older woman when she was still in her late teens. At first, she says it felt exciting but when her former partner became jealous of her relationship with her mum, and she was being isolated from friends and made to feel worthless she began having doubts.
Chloe wants anyone who is a victim or knows of a victim of domestic abuse to contact the police or other organisations for support. Around a fifth of all calls to Norfolk Police relate to domestic violence and it’s a crime we know impacts heavily on victims, their families, friends and whole communities.
Today sees the launch of a trial for a new reporting tool. The tool enables you to tell us anonymously if you know someone who regularly drives under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
The form allows people to give us the details we need to investigate, without identifying themselves.
If it's an emergency, if you think someone may be in danger or a situation could get worse, putting people at harm, please call 999.
Today is White Ribbon Day, and we’re asking everyone to take a stand against harmful behaviours.
The day and 16 days which follow are part of a campaign to end violence against women and girls.
Watch our short film featuring Norfolk officers sharing why speaking up matters.
One year ago, on White Ribbon Day, we also launched Project Vigilant to tackle predatory behaviour in Norwich’s nightlife. Since then, specialist patrols have:
✅ Stepped in hundreds of times to prevent harm before it happens
✅ Assessed 38 individuals who posed a risk
✅ Submitted over 50 safeguarding reports
✅ Gathered evidence leading to Sexual Harm Prevention Orders
This is about changing the approach—targeting perpetrators, stopping offences before they occur, and working with partners to protect those most at risk.
The sentence follows an incident on Sunday 6 July 2025, at around 3.50pm on Earlham Road, Norwich. A blue Ford KA, being driven by Vickers, caught the eye of police when he dangerously overtook another car at speed, in a 30mph zone.
He ran through a red light, ignored traffic signs, entered a one-way street in the wrong direction, endangered pedestrians by mounting kerbs and proceeded to collide with a bollard.
A call was received into the police control room by a member of the public voicing concerns that a woman they had interacted with at a shop, smelt strongly of alcohol and had driven off from the premises. This information was passed onto the roads policing team.
An officer who was patrolling near to the suspect’s home spotted the vehicle on Plumstead Road East and initiated a stop using their blue lights. The driver failed a roadside breath test, blowing 73 ugs and was arrested for drink driving.
At custody, it was discovered that she had repeatedly given false details to both the arresting officer and the custody sergeant. The woman was already disqualified from driving due to a previous drink driving offence in January 2025.
He pleaded guilty to 12 counts of theft from shops last week (21 November 2025) and was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months and ordered to pay £2,233.94 to the businesses affected.
He was also given a five-year Criminal Behaviour Order banning him from all Co-Op stores in Norfolk as well as various other shops in Norwich
Creak, of Westland Way, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, was found guilty of attempted murder today at Norwich Crown Court (1 April 2025) following a trial.
The court heard how the former army officer stabbed her multiple times with a Stanley knife, including a 20cm cut to her neck after following her and blocking her with his car on Mill Lane in Hardwick.
The car will be appearing at many events throughout the coming year, as a part of Operation Octane, to allow officers to demonstrate which modifications can be achieved within the limits of the law. They will be encouraging car enthusiasts to think about legal options available to them and encourage safer and considerate driving.
Funding for the street legal modification of the car has been provided by the Safety Camera Partnership.
Whilst we appreciate that prosecution is an important element of our work to reduce vehicle related ASB, we also understand how valuable engaging with a community can be. We look forward to seeing you at an event soon!
Music. Dark Christmas Trap Beat by NightCityTunes pixabay.com
Visit norfolk.police.uk, call 101 or always call 999 in an emergency.
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William Crater, of Post Office Road, Lingwood, previously appeared at Great Yarmouth Magistrates’ Court on 13 August 2021, where he pleaded guilty to charges of Dangerous Driving, Failing to stop for police, and Failing to provide a breath sample.
Just after 10pm on Thursday 22 July 2021, police were alerted by a member of the public to a suspected drink driver leaving the car park of Sprowston Manor, Norwich.
William Crater had driven off from the car park of the venue on Wroxham Road in a black Porsche Carrera S, having been seen drinking alcohol at the venue.
Officers located the Porsche along the A47, speeding towards Great Yarmouth at approximately 95mph, and later approaching a blind bend on the wrong side of the road, drifting across lanes, and driving with fluctuations in speed.
After reaching Lingwood Road, the court heard how the defendant manoeuvred his car to the side of the road to allow the unmarked police car to pass. However, after the officer activated his blue lights and pulled in alongside the Porsche, signalling for it to stop completely, Crater sped off.
The officer pursued the defendant in his vehicle using sirens and blue lights, but Crater failed to stop, and continued driving dangerously.
After a short while, the defendant failed to approach a bend in the road safely, which led to the Porsche bouncing over a mound of earth and crashing into a field.
Crater ignored commands from the officer to stay in his vehicle and was reported to have made threats, which led to the officer tasering him. He was arrested for failing to stop for police, refusing to provide a roadside breath test, and for dangerous driving.
The defendant was taken to Great Yarmouth Police Investigation Centre where he continued to refuse to provide breath samples for analysis.
At Great Yarmouth Magistrates’ Court today, William Crater was sentenced to:
200 hours of unpaid work
Given an 18-month driving ban
Ordered to pay costs of £240
Given a 90-day alcohol abstinence requirement
Sergeant Joe Simon, from Norfolk and Suffolk’s Roads and Armed Policing Team said:
“Crater’s actions were irresponsible, and extremely dangerous, and could easily have resulted in the loss of someone’s life.
"Driving dangerously, and in particular while under the influence of alcohol, is the cause of so many accidents. What can seem like a quick win to someone who just wants to get home, can be a life-changing event for others and the drivers themselves. If it wasn’t for the member of the public alerting us to this danger, who knows what could have happened. We’d encourage others to report any similar concerns they may have.”
Anyone with information about suspected drink or dangerous driving should contact Norfolk Police on 101. In case of an emergency, or if you believe a crime is in progress, always dial 999.
Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers 100% anonymously on 0800 555 111.


