Labourer high on drugs goes on dump truck rampage when air con breaks down

[Chip (OP)]

source: http://www.9news.com.au/world/2016/02/06/05/10/labourer-high-on-drugs-rams-police-during-dump-truck-rampage

Labourer high on drugs goes on dump truck rampage when air conditioning breaks down

An English labourer high on drugs stole a dump truck and led police on a destructive 60km chase after being told to continue working after the air conditioning in the vehicle broke down .

Nicholas Churchill was high on amphetamines when he pinched the 20-tonne vehicle in July last year, the BBC reports.

He reportedly became enraged when the air conditioning in the dump truck he was operating broke down and he was told to carry on working anyway.

During sentencing at Norwich Crown Court yesterday it was revealed that it was only 13 degrees on the day of the rampage but Churchill felt hot as a result of the amphetamines he had taken.

Just released footage shot by police cars and a helicopter shows him ramming into police vehicles, writing two off and causing almost $100,000 worth of damage to a third.

One officer involved in the chase told the court that he thought he was going to die.

"I was petrified and never felt anything like this before in my career. I believe the vehicle was so large and heavy it could have driven over our police car," the officer told the court.

"In my 30-year career, I've been kicked, punched and spat at. I've never been so petrified," another officer involved in the pursuit said.

Officers tried to stop the vehicle with tyre-deflating stingers but the truck was so big they proved ineffective.

Churchill then swerved towards the officer who had just deployed the device, something he did repeatedly throughout the chase.

Churchill received a 14 month jail sentence after admitting aggravated vehicle-taking, dangerous driving, and driving while unfit through drugs.

for the video, go to http://www.9news.com.au/world/2016/02/06/05/10/labourer-high-on-drugs-rams-police-during-dump-truck-rampage

[theSWPK]

Only 14 months. Wow. I feel like here he would have gotten 8 years easy. It trips me out seeing how the rest of the western world handles its punitive systems compared to the United States.

Just curious, what types of sentences do they hand out in your area for simple posession? For example, possession of hydrocodone, two tablets?
Last week an acquaintance of mine received a 5 year sentence for 2 measly hydrocodone tablets.

[Griffin]

Damn SWPK 5 years for 2 hyrdrocone that is insane. It reminds me of the John Lennon/blind melon song 10 for 2 about John Sinclair who got 10 years for 2 joints. I am also interested in the difference in sentencing laws in other countries compared to the US. I think the biggest difference I have seen is Anders Breivik the Norwegian Mass Murder who killed 77 people mostly kids and was only given 21 years.

He would of definitely got the death penalty in the US, I was surprised when James Holmes wasn't give the Death Penalty and he probably would of if he would of been in any state besides Colorado. Giving someone the death penalty here costs more money than giving them a life sentence, I could care less if they killed James Holmes Or Anders Breivik though. I am usually against the death penalty but it wouldn't bother me if a pedophile who admitted guilt got it, as well as mass murderers.

I can't believe your friend got 5 years for 2 tabs, did he have a lot of prior felonies? I was very happy when I was given probation for my DUI because I could of been given 2-8 years. I think if I were black I might of gotten prison time as the judge and everyone who worked in the jail and county were extremely racist. It seems a lot of judges are eager to send people to prison, and are happy to do so. I don't understand wtf is wrong with people like that who get joy out of throwing people in cages. They all have a god complex and think they are morally-superior to all.

[Zoops]

"I was petrified and never felt anything like this before in my career. I believe the vehicle was so large and heavy it could have driven over our police car," the officer told the court.

"In my 30-year career, I've been kicked, punched and spat at. I've never been so petrified," another officer involved in the pursuit said.


AAAWWWW da wittle powice-man was scared of that big old nasty mean dumptwuck.

Still, that's pretty fucked. It was only 13C that day, which is like 50F or something? Kind of cool temperature-wise.

I don't get how it could have caused $100,000 of damage to one police car, while totaling the other 2. Seems like $100,000 of damage would be a total loss with the insurance, since that's likely more than they paid for it new, I would hope at least. I bet they meant to put "$10,000" instead. So much reportage has typographical errors in it these days, and more has simply incorrect facts, that it's kind of sad.

Stuff like this doesn't help your ("free methamphetamine for everybody" LOL) cause Chipper. It reminds me of the anti-PCP hysteria back in the 70's and early 80's. "This angel dust thing is killin our kids." Now, it's this "crystal meth thing." Makes a man so strong it takes 50, maybe 60 cops to subdue him!

I think over here they would have concentrated on the reckless endangerment angle more than the destruction of property that they seem to have focussed on over there, so he would have gotten several years for that. Hell, they'd probably throw "attempted murder of a police officer" at him too. In fact, I bet they would.

When someone does shit like that, though, I think some punishment is definitely in order. I mean it was crazy violent and destructive. 14 months seems about right. 

[dizzle]

Hell, they'd probably throw "attempted murder of a police officer" at him too. In fact, I bet they would.

You can't BET THAT SHIT man. NOONE would take that bet, not even vegas, and they bet on which songs Coldplay would play at the halftime show for the superbowl...

Regarding the $100K in damage, could that car have been like a tricked out surveillence van/car or something? I can't see a standard police car being worth $$ like that. Plus with the amoutn of cars they buy u know they get a decent deal on them.


Also, the dude that got 5 years for two vicodens, HOLY SHIT!!! this country's judicial system is fucked. Was that a plea? Did they have him on delivery or just possession of 2 pills?

[Chip (OP)]

@Zoops - doesn't help the cause one little bit.

I just thought it would spark debate.

I'm not truly pro-meth for everybody as it can be a dangerous drug for new users.

I am into better alternatives that are safer, if possible.

[Reezy]

I wonder if any other country gives you a murder charge for killing a police dog? I LOVE animals so i'm not condoning it, but if a criminal is getting tore up and he shoots the dog, yea he did a crime, and yea it sucks the dog died.. but a MURDER charge? Thats some serious time.

[Thoms]

That will teach those bastards. It fucking kills me when they can't shut a truck down to fix the fucking AC. Call me spoiled but if a truck comes equipped with something it should be in functional working order.

[theSWPK]

To those who were wondering, my acquaintance had no serious priors. 1 poss. Of paraphernalia 1 driving susp. License. They will probably serve a little less than half time. That's usually bc the prison system is overloaded,  but they just completed a new compound in my county, so who knows. It's so awful that they are removed from their loved ones and anyone they care about for such a benign offense. No intent charges btw. It's all about milking citizens of the US for money money money.

[Chip (OP)]

a strong meth dose can *easily* knock the sense out of them ... no filter or thinking it through before one acts.

I have fallen into the trap of making bad decisions on too much crystal with a bad attitude.

I will not let that happen again.

It's crazy and dangerous, all the same ... this is what users need to respect.

[DeadCat]

In the US chances are the driver would have been shot, probably early on in the chase.

I tried to search for a recent case where police shot some guy in the back when he tried to run from his job when they went to deliver some kind of traffic warrants. There were so many different incidents that I couldn't find the specific one I wanted to find.

As far as the price tag on the damaged vehicles I suspect that the cars themselvs are worth less than the tech they have installed in them.

14 months prison time? More like 14 years in the US I'd think.

[Chip (OP)]

In the US chances are the driver would have been shot, probably early on in the chase. <snip>

14 months prison time? More like 14 years in the US I'd think.

i like Australia's legal system ... often being nicer than you guys in the US. I am grateful for that.

the US system scares me, sorry to say ...

[dizzle]

i like Australia's legal system ... often being nicer than you guys in the US. I am grateful for that.

the US system scares me, sorry to say ...

me too man. You have no idea.

[cpwhyme]

being overheated does give one the urge to rampage, whether drug induced or otherwise. seems like a fair sentence when compared with other justice systems. wonder if he will serve the whole 14 months or will get out early.

[thetalkingasshole]

just for once i wish someone high on something other than drugs would do something like this

"Laborer high on life eats faces of innocent bystanders"