Brighton boxer Freedom Eubank jailed after high speed police pursuit

Brighton boxer Freedom Eubank led police on a high speed pursuit through the city, ran a red light and drove the wrong way up a one-way street.
Freedom Eubank was jailed for dangerous driving. Picture: Sussex PoliceFreedom Eubank was jailed for dangerous driving. Picture: Sussex Police
Freedom Eubank was jailed for dangerous driving. Picture: Sussex Police

The 28-year-old claimed again and again that he was merely the passenger in the Vauxhall Vectra car, but today finally admitted his guilt at Hove Crown Court.

Eubank, of St Helen’s Road in Brighton, was today jailed for 15 months for ‘driving like an idiot’.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He had been convicted of dangerous driving, driving without a licence and driving without insurance at an earlier hearing.

About 2.10am on December 1 last year, police were alerted to the driving of the Vectra car, the court heard.

Police pursuit through Brighton

Prosecutor Richard Cherrill said: “They made an attempt to stop it at Bloomsbury Place unsuccessfully.

“There was a pursuit down to the Marina in Brighton from where the defendant drove the vehicle back into central Brighton.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The court heard that Eubank drove along Bear Road – which has a speed limit of 20mph – at speeds ‘in excess of 80mph’.

“Not only that but it drove through a red light and then up a one way road the wrong way.”

The car eventually stopped and Eubank was seen to leave the vehicle. He was arrested by officers not long afterwards.

'Let his family down'

Throughout the police interview and his trial at magistrates’ court Eubank claimed that he had been the passenger in the car, not the driver, the court heard.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Defence barrister William England told the court that the reason Eubank sped off when police confronted him was because he feared being caught driving would make it harder to see his daughter.

He added: “He is utterly ashamed of himself.

“As a father of a young child he recognises there could have been somebody coming home from a pub having a night out who could have been wandering across the road.”

Mr England added: “His real passion – as appears to be a family passion – is boxing.

“He’s let himself down and has let his family down.”

Sentencing Eubank, Recorder Adrian Chaplin said Eubank had been ‘driving like an idiot’ and his actions were ‘atrocious’.

Eubank was jailed for 15 months and was banned from driving for 43 and a half months.