Handcuffed grandad speeds away from police with car doors wide open

A criminal managed to speed away from police after being handcuffed and was caught on camera driving off with his car doors wide open. John Robinson had been spotted "behaving suspiciously" at a petrol station in Cwmbran , and police then found a firearm in his car. The 48-year-old was detained and handcuffed in the driver's seat of his Mitsubishi Outlander SUV before officers asked him to get out of the vehicle. Newport Crown Court heard Robinson told the officers "I'm disabled" before grabbing the steering wheel and accelerating away with the doors and boot wide open - while still cuffed. One officer was struck by a door of the Mitsubishi as it drove off from the garage. Don’t miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here Laurence Jones, prosecuting, told the court that the defendant, a grandfather-of-five from south London, was arrested a short time later and formally arrested. The barrister said: "He even told officers how hard it was driving in handcuffs." The court heard that the "realistic" looking firearm recovered from the vehicle was actually a "dysfunctional" pistol. John Robinson, of Charlton, London, had previously pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, and possession of an imitation firearm when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has 37 previous convictions for 98 offences, and in 2013 was sentenced to 10 years for robbery and firearms offences. With discounts for his guilty pleas Robinson was jailed for 12 months and banned from driving for three years. He will have to pass an extended retest before getting a licence. Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here . We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice