Moment ‘despicable’ driver is hunted down and dragged to the ground by a heroic police dog after he led officers on a terrifying 19 minute car chase

  • Force dog Max caught taking down 24-year-old Darrell Patterson as he fled 
  • Footage shows the canine catch him following a police chase lasting 19 minutes 
  • Cars forced to take evasive action when Patterson drove on wrong side of road
  • Patterson was handed a nine month prison sentence, suspended for two years  

Patterson (pictured) led police on a terrifying chase before Max the police dog brought him down while he fled on foot 

This is the moment a heroic police dog took down a ‘despicable’ driver after a 19-minute car chase.

Darrell Patterson led police on a terrifying pursuit through residential streets before jumping out of the moving car and running.

With a police helicopter hovering overhead and police dog Max on his tail, there was no escape.

Footage shows the canine closing in on Patterson and taking him to the ground, detaining him until police officers arrived.

Now the 24-year-old, from Gateshead, has been given a suspended prison sentence and unpaid work at Newcastle Crown Court.

The court heard it was on January 8 at around 9.30pm that Patterson, who had no driving licence or insurance, failed to stop for police.

The ensuing chase took him through Swalwell, Blaydon, Ryton, Crawcrook, Greenside and Winlaton, during which he drove over the speed limit, at times going onto the wrong side of the road towards oncoming traffic which had to take evasive action and also jumped a red light.

Mr Giuliani told the court: ‘It’s a particularly bad piece of driving. It was a prolonged chase in a build up area that, on more than one occasion, put other people at risk.’

With three police cars and the helicopter in pursuit, he bailed out with the car still moving and it crashed into a fence as he ran off.

Max (pictured) took down the dangerous driver following a 19-minute chase 

Mark Giuliani, prosecuting, said: ‘The police released a dog and the dog caught and detained him.

‘He was being viewed by the helicopter and they told the police where the dog was detaining him.’

Patterson pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and was sentenced to nine months suspended for two years with 150 hours unpaid work, a community order and a three-year driving ban.

Recorder Jonathan Aitken told him: ‘That was a particularly bad piece of driving. 

‘The problem is, although it was quite quiet, there were a large number of people travelling in the opposite direction who are, if not lucky to be alive, lucky they weren’t in a serious accident.

‘That sort of thing cannot be tolerated. But I’m not going to send you to prison today because of your guilty plea and mitigation and I think you are capable of staying out of trouble.’

Rachel Hedworth, defending, said: ‘It was clearly a despicable piece of driving and the only good thing that can be said is no one was injured and there was no damage caused.

This is the moment Mat the police dog took down Patterson after he raced through residential streets in Gateshead 

Cars were forced to take evasive action as Patterson drove at high speed on the wrong side of the road in Gateshead while police chased him 

‘He made a foolish life-threatening decision to drive in the manner he did. He had a difficult upbringing and has various mental health issues.’

Miss Hedworth claimed Patterson was ‘mauled’ by PD Max ‘for a significant period of time’ and that he had suffered significant injuries as a result. 

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