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18th Aug 2022

Man filmed driving along railway to escape cops found guilty of endangering life

Jack Peat

He’s really gone off the rails 

A man filmed driving along a railway track to try and evade cops has been found guilty of endangering life.

Kieron Francis, 35, was caught on camera attempting to flee police in a stolen Land Rover Discovery by driving through a level crossing and turning onto the track.

Video footage showed the vehicle being driven alongside the platform at Cheshunt railway station in Hertfordshire in front of shocked commuters.

The car had been stolen from Braintree, Essex, four days before the incident on 15 June 2021.

It was then left abandoned on the tracks in the path of trains.

Francis, of Dagenham, east London, has now been convicted of two counts of endangering life after a trial – but cleared of stealing the Land Rover.

He will be sentenced at a later date.

St Albans Crown Court heard Francis drove off when police tried to speak to him.

The court heard two police officers were injured in the incident and several vehicles were damaged.

One officer was thrown from the car as it sped off.

One witness said at the time they were “gobsmacked”.

“It was like a scene from Grand Theft Auto, the video game,” they added.

At an earlier hearing, he pleaded guilty to five other offences that he committed on the same date.

This included assaulting a male police constable, driving while disqualified, dangerous driving and two counts of destroying property, including a railway crossing barrier.

He was remanded in custody ahead of his sentencing.

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