A Boston man has been jailed for 24 weeks after driving through a red light in the town centre and failing to stop for police.
Officers were called on Friday 28 November following reports of a man selling unknown items from the boot of a blue Toyota Aygo in Boston Market Place. A PCSO attempted to speak with the man, but he got into the vehicle and drove away, heading towards Skirbeck Road and speeding through a red traffic light.
As the Aygo approached a marked police vehicle, the officer activated blue lights to signal the driver to stop. The driver ignored the instruction and continued to accelerate away.
William Smith, 36, of no fixed address, was later located and arrested the same day on Valentine Close. He appeared before Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on 29 November, where he was sentenced to 24 weeks in prison for failing to stop for police.
The case comes just days after police revealed that the same man had been involved in another serious incident earlier in the month. On 20 November, Smith had tried on a £399 watch at a jewellers on Bargate before running out of the shop without making any attempt to pay. He was arrested shortly afterwards and ordered by the court to pay full compensation to the store alongside a six-month Drug Rehabilitation Requirement and a 15-day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement, narrowly avoiding jail at the time.
Sergeant Will Robson of Boston’s Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “Our priority is to safeguard every member of our community from harm. We will use every lawful measure available to ensure people can live and work without fear, confident that those who commit crimes in our town will be held accountable.”
Smith’s offending history has repeatedly brought him before the courts. Last year, in February 2024, he entered Boston Police Station armed with a large knife, attempting to attack staff behind the front counter. He tried to smash protective glass and threatened officers and a member of the public. He was later jailed for 20 months after being convicted of affray, criminal damage and possession of a knife.
Smith is now serving his latest prison sentence as his pattern of serious offending continues to raise concerns among local officers and residents.
