LONG ARMBAND OF THE LAW - This it the moment a thief jumps into a river in a botched attempt to evade police

This is the moment a car thief plunged into an icy RIVER in a botched attempt to evade pursuing police. Dashcam footage shows Christopher King, 38, driving ahead of the police car in a red Ford Fiesta. He then appears to accelerate as police put their sirens on and give chase in Castle Bromwich, West Mids., at around 8am on January 26. He drives at more than double the 30mph speed limit down the middle of a two-way road, passing other vehicles. He continues to evade police and overtake traffic, crossing a junction before going around a roundabout in the wrong direction. Helicopter footage shows him driving off-road onto grass, before leaving the car and running through River Cole. Police are one step ahead of King, who they then detain. King, of Kitts Green, Birmingham, admitted dangerous driving, handling the stolen car, and motoring offences. He was given banned from driving for three years, given a suspended 18-month sentence and 120 hours of unpaid work at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday (9/3). Police used a stinger on the car after it was spotted within an hour of being reported stolen from Sutton Coldfield, West Mids., but the driver managed to speed away down residential roads during rush-hour. It caught his front tyres, but he was able to drive off. Detective Constable Brett Stephenson, from West Midlands Police CID, said: “King continued to drive in a dangerous way, during rush hour and with lots of other traffic, pedestrians, and children on their way to school. “He made every effort to get away, including driving the wrong way around traffic islands, going through red lights and driving on the wrong side of roads. “He eventually dumped the car on land near Forth Drive in Chelmsley Wood, fleeing across a river and into Elmore Close, where he was finally arrested. “King’s driving was completely reckless and put other road users and pedestrians at risk." On him was a set of keys with a chip which had been coded to match the stolen vehicle. Credit By SWNS